Mark of a Man Excerpt-Tear Catchers/Peeper & Aunt Noreen

11/29/18
Update: I got an email from Lorena, the creator of the tear catcher pictured below.  I found it on Pinterest and stated that in my article, but now I am pleased to share this replica is made with a vintage Avon bottle from Rose &  Plum on Etsy.  Please go to https://www.etsy.com/market/rose_plum to discover more beautiful treasures.  Thank you, Lorena,  for allowing me to credit your artistry! -Jane Marie

  

Tear Catchers, also called tear vials or tear bottles, were used to capture tears.  They go way back and I discovered they are mentioned in the Old Testament, Psalm 56:8. Some came with an opening in the top to let the tears evaporate.  When the vial was empty, mourning was over.  A bottle with a solid top might be used by a widow.  A year after her husband's death, she would empty the contents over his grave.  Or a returning soldier would discover how much he was missed.

I found a sample of a necklace tear catcher on Pinterest (link below).  This could be one used by Aunt Noreen, a less than gracious character in The Goodbye Lie, Amelia Island's Velvet Undertow and Mark of a Man, novels in my Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie Trilogy.

Here is a silly excerpt of the on-going bicker-fest between beloved Grandmother Peeper and not so beloved Aunt Noreen from my upcoming historical novel Mark of a Man set in 1898 in Fernandina on Amelia Island:  

   "Keep our Bird a the Earth in yur care, dear Lord," prayed Peeper, unable to kneel and so was seated on the edge of a chair.

   "Strengthen those of us who remain behind," added Aunt Noreen, removing the cork from the tiny tear catcher she wore hanging about her neck.
   Peeper saw the familiar movement and asked, "Why are ya actin' so sad, Noreena?  You don't never care a lick fer nobody but you. If ya think you're ashowin' yur devotion by collecting tears, ya ain't. Everybody knows how ya kin squeeze out yur eye-drops whenever ya have the notion.  I wouldn't be surprised ta find ya drank a extree glass a water afore ya come here, just ta be certain there was anuf juice in ya ta have a good weepin' flow."
   Hoping the others were more concerned with their praying than with Peeper's true evaluation, Noreen only compressed her lids more tightly, gathering another droplet from her left eye.  


To see more tear catchers, click here and scroll down the page: http://www.pinterest.com/twinavon/tear-catcher/

Goodbye Lie Romance - An Excerpt

Honor, Treachery, Epic Romance

 are just part of
 Amelia Island's GOODBYE LIE Trilogy where

 Little House on the Prairie meets Gone With The Wind ...

  Men will die for Breelan Dunnigan

      in 





   

Treat yourself and get your copy here: http://www.greenlightwrite.com/homegraciousjanemarie.htm  

 



Goodbye Lie Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oAsQkLUoJY



 

Review: A rollercoaster of emotions … [which] include … loving the characters. … The unexpected ending makes a jaw dropping jolt to the senses. --ReaderViews.com

Find romance every day and every night between the covers of Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie.  Set in 1882 Florida, here is a snippet of the spirit of my kind of romance! -jmm

Excerpt:
    "Trip it shall be. Please, call me Breelan." And he held her secure, leading her in wild spins around and around. She threw her head back as she laughed softly, her hair covering his uniformed forearm.

     Waite was completely aware of Breelan's movements. He wanted to kiss the ivory of her flawless bare shoulders. But when he saw the lieutenant's arm tighten around Breelan's waist, Waite's desire turned violent as he imagined ripping the soldier's arm off at the elbow. He resented the man, any man, holding her, let alone holding her as close as this gent was. Trip's body pressed intimately against Breelan’s green dress, separating her skin from his by only a few thin layers of silk and cotton. His officer's white-gloved fingers entwined themselves in the ends of her satiny brown hair. At least, his actual flesh wasn't in contact with hers, Waite consoled himself. He was glad a gentleman always wore gloves when dancing so as not to soil a woman's gown with perspiration. He'd considered many customs foolish and a waste of time. Not this one. For this social edict, he thanked the stars. 

     "Waite, darling," Miss Visper spoke a second time. "You're not listening to me, are you?"

     Caught. He was having difficulty tearing his eyes from Breelan. He asked, his tone mocking, "Leona, do you think I'd dance with a woman and she not be the center of all my attention?"

     "I think one thing. You're most engaging and you know it. Any woman who allows herself to love you is demented. You'll only break her heart."

     "You flatter me. But I think the excursion to that point would be an escapade not to be missed," he suggested, stroking her mind, using her. He excused his selfishness because he knew she wanted him. He needed a woman tonight and she was an alluring, if somewhat obvious creature...

 

***

Whale of a Male -Goodbye Lie's Waite Taylor

Meet or get reacquainted with Waite Taylor. Using descriptions and quotes taken directly from the pages of my historical novel, Amelia Island's THE GOODBYE LIE,  here is a profile of Waite, the male lead in the story set in 1882 Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida.

Name:  Waite Montoya Taylor

Born: That face had seen many a scrap in its thirty-odd years, she guessed.

Parents: ...the sole child of a Venezuelan heiress, Carla Montoya, and an English seaman, Kenneth Waite Taylor.

Height:  He was easily a head taller than she.

Eyes:  Breelan looked into his deep black eyes. She had to speak for fear she'd tumble into their depths in the silent moment that followed.

Hair: The dark hair was full, damp, and wickedly wild from the weather, yet it suited him.

His Physique: The broad shoulders of a man lying on top of her were blocking her line of sight.

...how graceful his movement for a man of his size.

 A strong arm caught her round her waist.

His Scent: He smelled of leather and bay rum cologne. He smelled good. 

Facial Features:  The moon escaped from its cloud captors to better light his face. It was a smooth face, no beard, no moustache. The skin looked dark, like that of someone who loved the out of doors...
 His jaw was so square, ... the line of it broken only by the cleft in his chin. His nose was surprisingly straight, considering the small uneven scars he wore at his hairline, across his right cheek and on his neck, just below his right ear.

Occupation: Waite Taylor, captain of that passenger liner... His father ... was killed when his vessel was rammed broadside by a sinking Federal supply ship. They say that since that time, his son vowed to have a career at sea, no matter what manner of ship he served on, in honor of the man who'd shown him the wonder of the waters.

Character:  Strange. Miss Ella would even trust this man alone with her daughter. She was certain he would never physically harm her girl.

"I would say you were a man who'd experienced much in life and one who is probably capable of handling most any situation." 

He was certainly old enough to be married. His days of running after different girls should be over unless he was a widower or a philanderer. Yes, she'd known him long enough to classify him as a philanderer, snagging every fast trick his barbaric bulk craved.

Military Service:  " He joined the Confederate Army at sixteen. I understand his father wanted him by his side to fight the Yankees at sea, but Taylor chose to stand with the lads from his class on land. He served with the Third Florida in the Battle of Olustee.  ... he received a battlefield commission raising his rank to lieutenant.

Checking a nearby line, a young crewman interjected innocently, "Ah, go on, Cap'n. Tell the good folks how they give ya a medal for valor on the battlefield so's they can rest easy." 

 History: "He was raised in the Florida Keys and sailed the Caribbean with his father until his mother's passing when he was fourteen.  After the war, he earned his shipmaster's license and eventually became the youngest captain in the history of the transatlantic shipping company, Atlantic Eagle Cargo Lines. For a dozen years he commanded a regular run between Baltimore and South Hampton, England, delivering lumber, turpentine, cotton and phosphate. I understand he wanted a change, so built his passenger ship, Gentle Comfort, named in memory of his beloved mother, and he's been running the Comfort along the eastern shore of the United States ever since."

His Quote:  "Just to be in her town was an ordeal, but I had to take control. I had to face things. When we arrived yesterday in Fernandina, all my resolve left me. That's why I stayed aboard. I wasn't just reading. The truth is I was studying, investigating where she comes from, trying to get closer to her somehow. The more knowledge I acquired about her background, the worse I wanted her. So I purposely started drinking last night until I passed out. With enough liquor in me, I knew she'd be safe from the wild man who wanted to pound on her door in the middle of the night and take her away for himself.
     "This morning, with damn near the worst hangover I've ever had as a reminder of my determination [to stay away], I was prepared to be strong and leave town without ever attempting to see her. I was counting the minutes until we pulled out, until I escaped Amelia Island. You can't know how shocked I was when she arrived at the foot of the dock, her father handing her over to me! It was her uncle, Clabe Duffy, who corresponded with me. I didn't know the name. I swear to God, I had no earthly idea she was one of the girls I was to watch over. Now she's here, aboard my ship, and so is temptation."

Goodbye Lie Sugar & Spice Nuts w Excerpt

Every year around Christmas, I make my Sugar and Spice Nuts. I think they are festive enough to serve for fancy functions, so wrote them into my historical romance novel, The Goodbye Lie.  Click on the link for the recipe, http://www.greenlightwrite.com/sugarspicenuts.htm, and read the excerpt below from the book that mentions the nuts...

The scene is the Fort Clinch Christmas dance of 1882 set on Amelia Island, Florida.  

     While Trip and Will found amusement between them, Nora commented, "You'd never think this was a military establishment from the looks of the holiday decorations.  All I can think of right now, though, is biting the head off one of those frosted snowman cookies hanging from the red ribbons."...

     The girls nibbled on triangular egg salad sandwiches, rolled ham, and sugared nuts while watching Mrs. Bleether. The stout widow was still dressed in black for General Bleether who had passed away in the line of duty before Breelan was born. Tonight, the widow nodded periodically to the conductor with instructions. A self-described expert tunesmith, she could always be found near the hapless leader of the band at any social function she attended...

      Breelan danced with Trip each time he asked despite his occasional cutting remarks. She didn't understand why he was becoming increasingly nasty as the evening advanced. Usually that happened as he drank more alcohol, but the dance committee was only serving spiced punch and mulled cider they heated with a fire poker. When Trip crushed her to him in an indelicate moment of lust, she felt the hard flask under his tunic and understood.

     The glowing fireplaces kept most of the cold at bay. They blazed high, casting a golden haze on everyone and everything. Passing the door in dance, Breelan felt a rush of raw wind enter the room, along with a late arriving couple. The cape the man wore was not military. She saw the woman next. The blond hair, piled a little too high on the head, left no doubt that it was Leona Visper, a figure not seen since New York City and more importantly, not missed. Looking again at the silhouette of shoulders, Breelan realized the identity of the singer's escort. It was then that eyes met, expressions hardened and polite nods were exchanged.

     "What the hell's he doing here?" Trip railed.

     Having no answer, Breelan offered none.

     "Look everyone," said a voice from somewhere in the room, "Captain Taylor and his lady brought the snow with them to Fernandina!" The floor cleared as couples rushed to the windows to see the rare white flakes drop softly to the earth, melting on contact with the warmer sand and sparse grass.

     Trip grabbed Breelan's hand and yanked her to the window farthest from the entrance. He threw his arm about her waist...murmured a vulgarity against her ear. She tried pulling away, but was fused to his body by his overpowering strength...