Hurricane Matthew Versus 1898

     I sit here, waiting to get word as to when the authorities will allow us to return to our beloved Amelia Island, Florida since the destruction dealt us by Hurricane Matthew, this October 7, 2016. And as we wait to discover the total damage the storm may have delivered, I thought of the great hurricane that hit Fernandina on Amelia Island, October 2, 1898.  I know much about it because, after intense research, it became an integral part of the plot of my novel, Amelia Island's Mark of a Man. From what I hear from folks who remained on Amelia Island, no matter the mandatory evacuation order, I don't think Matthew, for us, will be as ruinous as that hurricane, some 118 years ago.  I thank God for that.

     The copy below is taken from my author's notes at the end of Mark of a Man:

HURRICANE: Many who presently live on Amelia Island, Florida, think of the October 2, 1898 hurricane/tropical cyclone as ours.  More often, it is called the Georgia Hurricane since it directly hit Cumberland Island, Camden County, Georgia, which is just over the border between the two states. Today it is thought this was a Category 4 hurricane with winds up to 135 mph, and somewhat similar to Hugo, which tore apart South Carolina in 1989.  Florida Mirror, Fernandina's local newspaper of the day, reported a twelve-foot storm surge at the Amelia River docks that destroyed buildings and left boats and ships marooned up into the town as far as Second Street. Estimated damage was some $500,000 or $14,285,000 in 2014 money.  Casualties on Amelia Island were two children, and one mother and her infant. The total recorded souls lost between Florida and Georgia were 179. It is often said that these bad hurricanes in this area occur every hundred years. If that is the case, Fernandina is overdue.

Georgia Friends

Left to right: Sue Brown, Jane Marie, Sally Whitten

Last year I attended the annual King of Peace Bazaar in Kingsland, Georgia, not quite an hour from my Amelia Island, Florida home. I met tons of folks as you do when working a craft show. (Besides my novels, I have many handmade crafts, most of which are only available when I do a big show.  I will put some of them online for sale, when I can find the time.) I attended the bazaar this year, too. An hour into the show, two lovely ladies came up to me and told me how much they enjoyed my Goodbye Lie series. So much so, they drove from Georgia down to Fernandina to get their copy of my latest novel, Amelia Island's Mark of a Man. I told them they could have ordered it online or from their local book store, but because Amelia Island is so wonderful to visit, they preferred to come to our little town where the stories take place, and get it here, locally.

They went on to tell me how they saw an ad saying the bazaar would take place in a month's time and they made a point of attending, in the hope I would be there, with my 4th novel, Amelia Island's Sand and Sin.  I had to tell them it is written and I will begin editing it in 2016.  I was very flattered, of course, because their love of the stories was apparent.  They "get" the whole Goodbye Lie world. So, please say hi to Sue Brown and Sally Whitten.  They are faithful Goodbye Lie-rs, like the rest of us! 

Oh, please be sure and share this blog with your friends.  We do have some fun and, once in a while, informative times, don't we?

Goodbye Lie Diaries-Amelia Island's Mark of a Man's Pat & Marie Dunnigan

1898
Fernandina, Florida

Marie Dunnigan

Marie Dunnigan writes: Congrat-ulations, Jane Marie, on completing Amelia Island's Mark of a Man, your historical novel all about me!  I've read The Goodbye Lie about my sister, Breelan, and your Amelia Island's Velvet Undertow, about my other sister, Carolena.  I thought I knew those two.  They did some very wild and dangerous things when they were young women. 


I wish Mark of a Man was only about me and that I didn't have to share the story with my brother, Pat.  


That part about the soldier and how--Oh, I had best not reveal what happened, but it certainly was less than ... But did you have to include so many of my private thoughts?  Readers will think I'm spoiled, naive and selfish when I am really only curious, trusting and, well, maybe a tiny bit selfish.  I enjoyed the parts where Peeper and Aunt Noreen fight.  What an explosive combination they make.  


While it is not all flattering, you told the truth of things and that makes for the best stories.  Thank you for including me in your Goodbye Lie series!


***
1898
Fernandina, Florida

Pat Dunnigan

Pat Dunnigan writes: Frankly, Jane Marie, I am torn over reading about myself.  On one hand, it is somewhat interesting, if I might be so bold.  On the other, I, like Marie, don't want the world knowing so much about me and my--what do you call them in your time?  Ah, yes, my issues.  The good Lord knows I have my share of them.  And that includes the war and the women in my life. Since I did not have pre-approval as to what was included in the final version of your book, and since  Amelia Island's Mark of a Man is in bookstores now, or so I read on this blog of yours, I will take the taunts from Mickey and Warren Lowell. Of course, I will tease them right back as you include my buddies in the novel, too.   Well, should my next twenty years be as full as my last twenty, you will have enough material to write a sequel. 
***


Present Time
Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida


Jane Marie writes:  Hello Miss Marie, Mr. Pat. Perhaps I should have asked your permission before I wrote your stories. I just wanted the world to hear your stories, same as I did Breelan and Carolena.


If you can keep a secret, the next novel I'm working on, Amelia Island's Sand and Sin, takes place in the same town of Fernandina, the same Aqua Verde passenger line family business,  the same Dunnigan Manor,  the same-- but it is set in modern times!  Stay tuned, as we say, for more details as they develop.  Oh, and thank you!

Major Announcement

Amelia Island's MARK OF A MAN - e-book

Dear Friends,
     Yes, ma'am.  Yes, sir. I promised and now that promise is reality.  Amelia Island's MARK OF A MAN is written, published and ready for the world to read!  It's the story of Pat and Marie, brother and sister, who are part of what has become the beloved Dunnigan family living on Amelia Island in north Florida.  Set in 1898, Pat has grown into quite the hunk and Marie is quite a handful.  He lives hard and loves wild and she is a beacon for trouble.  Add in the Spanish American war, the worst hurricane on record to hit Amelia Island and the fussing comedy of Grandmother Peeper versus Aunt Noreen to lighten the drama and you have MARK OF A MAN. 

As the rollout begins, it is available in paperback and e-book on Amazon.com and paperback at Barnes and Noble, with e-book to follow shortly.  I have the first copy in hand and it will soon be in local book stores and available at book sources everywhere. (Just ask and it can be ordered or easily found online.)

I want to thank you all for your patience as I crafted this novel, which is another Fernandina fancy in my GOODBYE LIE series.  By the way, all three books, THE GOODBYE LIE, Amelia Island's VELVET UNDERTOW and Amelia Island's MARK OF A MAN, stand alone and can be read out of order. 

I had my fingers crossed that Amelia Island's MARK OF A MAN would be released before Christmas and I got my wish! May you enjoy it and, once you get to know the characters, may they become a part of your family as have mine. 

Merry Christmas!

Jane Marie

PS  #4 in the series, Amelia Island's Sand and Sin, is written but needs editing. That's my next project.

PPS  And yes, the description still fits MARK Of A MAN:  "where Little House on the Prairie meets Gone With The Wind ..."

PPS  December 15, 2014 is the 75th anniversary of the premiere of Gone With The Wind.  My husband, Bruce, and I attended the 50th anniversary costume ball in Atlanta, Georgia.  It was an event of a lifetime.  The book, movie and ball, all, inspired my writing ... Thank you, Margaret Mitchell.

Jane Marie and Bruce Malcolm, Gone With The Wind 50th Anniversary Costume Ball, Atlanta, Georgia

 Amazon paperback:  http://www.amazon.com/Amelia-Islands-MARK-Marie-Malcolm/dp/1496944429/

New Holiday Friends

Betsy, Jane Marie and Karen

I often post pictures of some of the new people I meet at book signings.  We have a common interest, historic romance/suspense novels.  After giggling with them and chatting up a storm, the time comes to part and as a remembrance, we take photos to share. 

This was Black Friday in downtown Fernandina on Amelia Island's historic Centre Street.  Since lots of action in my Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie Trilogy takes place on Centre, I love pointing here and teasing them there.  It's exciting for me and seems so for them, too .

From the heavy coats and scarves we're wearing, plus the Santa hat atop my head, you can see the weather fits the season.  Oh, and I'm wearing pajamas since it has become an island tradition on Black Friday that everyone is to come downtown from 8:00 to 11:00 am in their jammies.  If it's silly and fun, you know me, I'm there!

Thank you to Betsy and Karen from The Villages in central Florida.  Hope to hear from you once you've read The Goodbye Lie and Amelia Island's Velvet Undertow.  Stay tuned for Amelia Island's Mark of a Man.  It's right around the corner...



Honey Walnut Ice Cream- Peeper Writes



Here is an easy dessert is vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt drizzled with honey and sprinkled with walnuts.  This treat is featured in my upcoming novel, Amelia Island's Mark of a Man, set in 1898 and served at the Crusty Anchor Pub.

Excerpt:

Pat winked as he returned to his table in time for a beefy waiter to deliver steaming bowls of their ordered beef stew. Uncle John, giving nary an acknowledgement of the incident, sliced the loaf of accompanying beer bread and slathered each piece with butter before passing the first portion to Jency, who still smiled in relief that there was no altercation. They ended their meal, appreciating their vanilla ice cream drizzled with honey and walnuts.

 



The Goodbye Lie Diaries:

Fernandina, Florida
1898

Grandmother Peeper writes:  Shoot. I betcha they paid a pretty penny fur that goodie.  Come on down ta my house and I won't charge ya nothin'.  Well, I think I'd have ta send Aunt Noreena a bill, just ta be mean.

Doggie Workout Video

Amelia Island's Abby, our talking, singing, joke-telling Chihuahua, is at it again.  Now she has her own exercise video.  You see, it all began when she put on the workout suit I made her from an old sweat sock.  Yes folks, with a no sewing and a few snips of the scissors, you can create a new outfit for your small doggie, too. 


Abby in her sweatband made from the sock cuff





Abby speed digging beneath her dog towel while wearing her sweat sock exercise togs





May we suggest that you and your dog take a look-see and a listen to Abby's workout video  below with the hope it will inspire your lumpy, porky puppy AND you to get up and MOVE. Even if it is  just one extra wag of your tails, to Abby's way of thinking, that qualifies as exercise. 

 

In case you don't speak Chihuahua, here are the lyrics to her workout ditty:

 

Hello everybody!  It's time to exercise!

And a one and a bark and a sniff and poop.

And a two and a bark and eat and poop.

And  three and a bark and run and poop.

One and two and poop, poop, poop!

Now, don't you feel better?

 

***

 



Use these instruction to make your dog a sock sweater: 

How-To: Make a Dog Sweater from a Sock | MAKE by Phillip Torrone.

Thank you, Phillip.

 

***

 

(Abby I is our current Abby's ancestor. Given as a birthday gift in the 1880s to Aunt Noreen, a major player in my Goodbye Lie series of novels, Abby I lives out back of Duffy Place with Justice, Noreen's hired hand.  Since Aunt Noreen dislikes everything about dogs, from their fur to their smell, Abby I is fat and happy with Justice.  Abby I makes a cameo appearance in Amelia Island's Mark of a Man, the third novel in my trilogy. -jmm)





Joke Telling Dog + Goodbye Lie Diaries - Aunt Noreen

Abby, the sometimes Talking, sometimes Singing, and now the Joke Telling Dog, once again delights her fans and tickles their giggle spots with a direct quote from the upcoming Amelia Island's Mark of a Man.  Turn up the volume, click on the picture and smile! 

If you can't quite understand what Abby is saying because of her canine accent, listen again, or read her words below and then laugh out loud:

"Ooo!  A bug!  You step on it, Aunt Noreen.  You have the biggest feet!"

***
1880s
Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida

Aunt Noreen writes:  Honestly, Jane Marie.  Sometimes I think you

Aunt Noreen

deliberately encourage your dog to make fun of me. Just because Abby read Peeper's insulting quote in the manuscript of your next book, is no reason for you to put it on this blog, as you call it, for the whole world to hear and see. Peeper has already told  the ladies at our monthly bunco game what she said and they tittered at me behind their fans. And you call yourself gracious? Anyone would guess you are blood-kin to Peeper because you both are so much alike. Do not assume I mean that as a compliment.

(Aunt Noreen and Peeper are featured players in Mark of a Man. They fuss, they fight, they're funny and always, always suffering at the hands of the other.)

Grammy Camp - Perfume People + Goodbye Lie Diaries - Marie


Granddaughter Ava and I planned on making Perfume People last summer at our annual Grammy Camp, that's when I first thought of the idea, but just ran out of time.  This year, we made sure to do this fun project and you can see the results. 




Ava's Bing-Bong

 

Some empty, fancy perfume bottles and scraps of ribbon, lace and netting, plus markers, buttons, rhinestone jewels, hot glue* and whatever is in your stash of craft goodies and you and yours can make your own Perfume People.  No two will ever be alike, either! Create a create family, a theme, create a holiday scene. Enjoy!

*Always keep a cup of water beside you when you work with hot glue.  Should you burn yourself on the glue, and it happens, quickly dip your finger into the water and it will stop the hurt.

Ava's Glugette

Grammy's Fruitie Hootie

Grammy's Clowngwin

Grammy's Calipsoul

Ava's Art-Pooch

***
1880s
Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida

Marie writes:  Oh my goodness! Your Perfume People are

Marie Dunnigan

delightful!  I can entertain the children for hours making these.  I will put forth the word immediately that all the women we know should save their empty perfume bottles. Between Breelan, Carolena, Nora, Sophie Belle, our mother, Miss Ella, and the girls in our Aqua Verde office, we should have enough in no time.  And with all the sewing and mending that goes on around Dunnigan Manor, there will be enough ribbons and so forth that the little ones won't fight.  I don't know what your hot glue is but it sounds dangerous.  We will use our usual paste and, hopefully, get the same wonderful results. I can't wait to tell everyone about the new friends, Perfume People, they are about to meet.

(Marie Dunnigan is a featured player in Amelia Island's Mark of a Man, part of the Goodbye Lie Trilogy, set on Amelia Island, Florida in 1898.)

Editor Says

My Amelia Island's Mark of a Man is in the final phase, with

Amelia Island's Mark of a Man
working cover

the editor.   An editor is necessary to catch typos, loose ends, consistency. The author just can't because his/her brain fills in how the copy should be, thereby, missing those typos, etc.

I'm getting excited.  I hope the editorial comments I'll pepper throughout this blog will get you excited, too, because the more readers who join us, the more feedback we get and the more fun it all will be. I just love hearing different takes on the characters, the storyline, the whole feel of a novel.  

Here is one quote from my editor: "This is the most romantic line I have ever read, so put it on the back cover with the rest of the blurb."  Time past, she longed to live solely from the air of his lungs for it would mean they were completely dependent upon one another.

Stay tuned, dear readers. Amelia Island's Mark of a Man is just off shore and will be landing soon in book stores and book sources everywhere! 

Another Lucy Moment - Lunch

This proves I don't have writer's block because my mind is in constant whirl, often causing me not to focus on the task at hand.  So there I was serving my husband his lunch.  Mmm - Crockpot chicken drizzled in BBQ sauce, three bean salad and a third bowl, which I don't actually remember putting in front of him.
 
When he calmly asked, 'Is this cat food?', (not sure of the punctuation here, but that's what my book editor corrects), I stopped mid-stride on my way back to the kitchen and returned to look down into said bowl. By jingo, it was! 
 
Had I been paying attention  and not thinking of the book signing I was to attend that afternoon on our pretty Victorian downtown Centre Street then segueing into the phrasing for the end of chapter 21 in Mark of a Man, I'm sure I would have served him the dog's food he prefers.  

The Goodbye Lie Diaries- Pat's Favorite Picture Eggs

Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida
1880s

Pat Dunnigan writes:

Pat Dunnigan

I generally don't write down recipes.  I leave that to my sisters, mother and grandmothers.  This time is different.  Ever since I can remember, Grandmother Peeper has been making Picture Eggs especially for me, her Bird of the Earth.  To this day, she'll ask if I'm hungry and when I tell her yes, the first thing she offers is Picture Eggs. I'm putting pencil to paper to remind my wife, whoever she turns out to be, to make them for the children we'll someday have.

Pat's Favorite Picture Eggs

Here's what you do to make a single serving: 

Get out the large skillet for just one won't be near enough. Butter both sides of one slice of bread.  Take a round cookie cutter or glass and cut out a circle right in the middle of the bread. Put the bread and the cut out circle in the hot pan. Crack a raw egg and drop it into the hole, frying the circle at the same time. Flip it over after a minute or two and brown the other side of the bread. Don't overcook the egg if you want the yolk to be runny.  Add a smidgen of salt and pepper. Dip the toast circle into the egg juice or spread with jam and as Jane Marie says, "Enjoy!"

Pat Dunnigan is a featured player in Amelia Island's Mark of a Man, an historic suspense novel in Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie series, set in Victorian Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida in 1898.

**************

Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida   

Present Day                                                                           

Jane Marie writes:

Thank you for the wonderful idea, Pat.  I tried one and quickly gobbled it down. I think Picture Eggs would make a great all-American breakfast to serve on the 4^th of July or anytime!

Picture Egg and Toast Circle

Father's Day

 

In the picture below, 'tis Himself, my father, as a little boy.  Despite the poor quality, he looks to be a little trickster.  Wearing what is probably a hand-me-down shirt with its too short sleeves and mismatched buttons, raggedy cuffed pants with long stockings, and having a boo-boo on the first finger of his right hand, his dress fits perfectly with that characterization. But you can see there is kindness in his eyes and he grew to be a beloved father, teacher and coach.  Those whose lives he touched are blessed for having known him, and his family even more.

 

I am wondering if, subconsciously, I made Nugget, the little hellion in my upcoming Amelia Island's Mark of a Man historical novel, similar to the child in this photo.  If I did, I think my daddy would be very pleased about it.

 



Happy Father's Day everybody!

 

 

Three Ingredient Dessert

At a recent bunco* party, my friend, Emmie, gave me this easy treat she got from her friend, Freida. Quick to make and, just as quick, it's all gone! 

Freida's Angel Pudding Cake

 

 

You'll need:

1 ounce box of sugar free butterscotch pudding
8 ounce Cool Whip (fat free or lite)
1 angel food cake, store-bought
(pecans optional)

Mix the pudding into the Cool Whip.  Slice the cake horizontally into three sections.  Frost between the layers and then the top. (Place pecans on top if desired.) Eat at once or keep chilled on a covered cake plate.  If you want to frost the sides of the cake, too, buy two boxes of pudding and two containers of Cool Whip.

Enjoy!

*Aunt Noreen, a featured player in Mark of a Man, the next novel in Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie trilogy, plays bunco, a Victorian parlor game!

Mark of a Man- Peeper's Root Beer Punch

working cover of Amelia Island's Mark of  Man by Jane Marie Malcolm

Amelia Island's Mark of a Man, part of Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie series--
It is 1898 in the north Florida island town of Fernandina...
 
Peeper's bunions are hurting her today so she's stayed at Dunnigan Manor, missing Breelan and Carolena's suffragette rally.  She's attending in spirit, though.  The ladies of the movement insisted her Root Beer Punch be served in her honor. Now if they can keep Aunt Noreen from refilling her teacup too many times, there just might be enough to go around!
 


Grandmother Peeper

Below is Peeper's recipe, just as she wrote it out for them:

Peeper's Best Root Beer Punch

 
"Be sure and follow my formula close-like," Peeper writes, "sos it don't taste different from the intended flavor.

In any large bowl, pretty or chipped, it makes no nevermind, lessin yur atryin' ta put on the dog to impress folks, such as that Aunt Noreen is always doin'. 
 
Ingredients you'll be aneedin':
 
Root beer
Vanilla ice cream
 
Pour yur root beer in the bowl and add lots a scoops a 'nilla ice cream. Ladle inta  cups or jelly jars.  Now, don't be adrinkin' too much or ya might catch a chill.

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/

A Mother's Recipe + Goodbye Lie Diaries - Peeper's Fave

Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida
for Mother's Day
2014

Jane Marie writes:

On birthdays and holidays, I often make a chocolate cake with "Boiled White Icing" as my husband, Bruce, calls it, just like his mother, Mary Jo, used to do for him.  It is a wonderful way to remember her for all of us.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone because our mothers brought us into this world and that, in itself, is a miracle and cause to honor these special women, grandmothers, great grandmothers, aunts, neighbors, etc.! A mother's love goes beyond blood.

 

Mary Jo's Seven Minute Boiled White Icing

You'll need:

• Double boiler with water in the bottom or a 4 quart sauce pan or pie or cake pan filled with a 1/2" of water in which you will place the sauce pan for heating.

Combine in the top of your double boiler or saucepan substitute:

• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tarter
• A few grains of salt

Turn burner setting to medium high and place double boiler on the stove.  (Watch to see that the bottom of the double boiler neither boils over or boils dry.)

 

Add:

• One unbeaten egg white

Beat mixture until soft peaks form when the beaters are stopped and lifted.

 

Add :

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla just before the frosting is spread on the cake.

This makes enough frosting to cover the top of a 9”X12” cake.  The recipe can easily be doubled.

***   Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida 1880s   Grandmother Peeper writes:   Now ain't that the silliest thing.  I been amakin' this frosting the last longest!  All the Dunnigans just love it and I, also, sos I make a double batch, too.  Aunt Noreen tried it once but she forgot ta add the vanilla and it tasted only like eatin' a fork fulla sugar.  If it tweren't fer my naner puddin', the family party would have not had no dessert. Nobody said nothin' mean to Noreena but she is so stubborn, she cut herself a piece of her cake and ate it all down.  I have ta say, that woman is a good actress cause she didn't never make a face whilst gobblin' the stuff.  If ya make it right, and don't forget the vanilla, sure as the world, it'll be one a everybody's favorites.   Also, diary,  I like that there is a special day for all the mothers in Jane Marie's time.  I'm awonderin' why we don't do that, too.  Think I'll be gatherin' some flowers from Miss Ella's roses garden and make a extree perty settin' for the dinner table fer her.  She's a extree special mother, and it's best nobody says different.  Maybe I'll tell the children ta pick some weeds and give 'um ta Noreena.  The children don't know a weed from a flower but old Noreena does and I like to needle her whenever I kin.  It might not be the most Christian act, but it sure is fun.    Peeper, Aunt Noreen aka Noreena and Miss Ella Dunnigan are all featured characters in Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie Trilogy set in Victorian Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida, USA.

 

 

 

 

Making the Mark - What I Discovered

Questions, I have questions.  I have lots and lots of questions… (This is a direct rip-off from  Letters, We Get Letters, We Get Stacks and Stacks of Letters.  Folks would write into the Perry Como TV show from the 1950's.  He would choose a letter and sing the requested song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC7o7FbUipg

 

And you wonder why it takes so long to write my Amelia Island/Fernandina, Florida novels?  Research, dear readers.  Research and tweaking. With regard to research about things available and happening in 1898, the year in which my Amelia Island's Mark of  a Man, the next novel in my Goodbye Lie series,  is set,  here are just a few questions to which I had to find answers:

• When was Yankee Doodle written? – Answer: 1770s
• What were the Suffrage movement colors  worn by women seeking the vote?  I thought they were red, white and blue.  Answer: WRONG, oh great assumer, I say to myself.  I was watching a PBS show and there, before my eyes, were suffragettes.   They were wearing white, green and gold!  I verified this through research and went back and corrected it.
• Will lavender grow in north Florida? Answer: Yes, provided it's watered and in pots.  Then I recalled a horticulturist friend of mine telling me that, yes, it will grow here, but he suggested no matter where it is planted, you cover the surface of the dirt with pebbles.  Without pebbles, the water may splash up onto the lower leaves and transfer bacteria to those leave, causing mildew or fungus or whatever bad germs might make the plant to die eventually.
• Did doctors wear surgical masks? Answer:  Not yet.  They weren't developed until 1905 or so I read.
• When as Ava Maria written? Answer:  The music was written by Franz Schubert to a poem before he died in 1828, so I can use it!
• What about God Bless America?  When as that written? Answer:  1918 by Irving Berlin, so I can't use it.
• How about Rock of Ages? Answer: Yes, it was written before 1872.
• Hail Holy Queen composed when? Answer: It is from the 11^th century, so heck yes.  Use it!
• John Phillip Sousa's Stars and Stripes?  Answer: composed in 1896 and published in 1897.  It's a squeaker, but it will work!
• What is the difference between a bowler and derby hat?   Answer: The bowler, a hard felt hat with a rounded crown, was invented in Britain in 1848.  The Americans copied it and called it a derby.
• Lyceum Hall in Fernandina, Florida – When was it built and where was it located? Answer: Built in 1873, Lyceum Hall was located on Centre Street, the main street in historic downtown Fernandina,  between Sixth and Seventh Street.  Lyceums were public halls in small towns constructed to showcase wholesome entertainment, song, dance , the arts and assorted programs.

The results from research are fun, don't you think? 

Returning Iowa Friends

At a recent book signing, I was pleased to see Joan and Donna from Winterset, Iowa.  They are already GOODBYE LIErs and are anxious to read Mark of a Man, #3 in my Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie trilogy.  Stay tuned, girls...



Joan and Donna

Mark of a Man Excerpt- Crusty Anchor

Making the Mark:
Readers often ask me where I get ideas for my novels.  Here is one quick explanation with a short excerpt from my upcoming Amelia Island's Mark of a Man, part of Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie Trilogy. Set in 1898, the action happens from Florida up to Pennsylvania, down to Cuba and back to Florida. This particular scene is set in the Crusty Anchor Pub. The fictional pub is named for my granddaughter's stuffed cat.  When she was very little, she used to chew on the tail, it would dry, and get icky between washings.  Hence, we nicknamed the animal, CRUSTY Kitty.  The ANCHOR is to honor my brother, a Navy man, and there you have it- Crusty Anchor.

Mark of a Man excerpt: 
   Aunt Jency was a youthful thing and delicate, barely older than Pat, himself. In the short while he'd known her, he decided he liked her. She seemed a fine and caring person, even if she wasn't much of cook. From the looks of her husband's belly, he was finding sustenance somewhere.
   They caught sight of the rough, painted sign spelling out Crusty Anchor Pub in faded red letters. Pat envisioned it rowdy with mariners and didn't want to see Jency put in an uncomfortable position. To his pleasant surprise, the small place was mostly crowded with families. The chatter was high and the aroma wonderful. 
   They sat at a table in the center of the room with thirty or so customers enjoying their meals. Twenty feet from the window, they crooked their necks to get a glimpse of the darkening sky and deep gray of Presque Isle Bay.
   "You know, y'all," Pat commented, "the scene outside reminds me of Florida, with the boats, I mean."
   "You'll be having your fill of water by the time your hitch is up in the Navy."
   "You're right about that, Uncle John," Pat agreed, but silently hoped he was wrong, since water was what floated his family's business.  
   "Hear that accent, y'all?" mimicked a booming male voice. "Sounds like we got us a dirty Grayback clear up here in Erie."
   Tightly and quickly, Pat blinked, hoping that menacing voice behind him spouted only an empty challenge. Hags-teeth! Brawling got him where he was today. In the second before he turned to face his aggressor, he tossed a glance at Uncle John who was polishing his utensils on the sleeve of his plaid shirt and seemingly paying no mind. Jency, bending over her child, shielded the baby with her body. Pat stood, spun on his boot, and stepped away from the table, in case there was trouble. He tensed, saying, "The war's long past, man. If you still want to do this, I'll give you one free swing. After that--"...

   Perpetua stirred, fussed, and Jency pulled forth a tea towel wrapped baby bottle. "Good, it's still warm."
   "It had best be," the child's father said. "We don't want our little girl to be unhappy."
   "My daddy always says girls are made for spoilin', Uncle John. I see you both have the same philosophy."
   Their attention turned from one another and back to the baby when she let out a huge wail as the bottle slipped from her mother's hand and pulled from Perpetua's mouth to crash to the floor. Spikes of glass glistened in the light of the oil lamps on the surrounding square tables.
   "Oh dear," Jency murmured, the worry heavy in her tone. "Perpetua may still be hungry. I never imagined this happening. I haven't another bottle with me."  She lifted the baby over her shoulder and patted the child's back. A soft burp erupted and Perpetua calmed down.
   "Shall we go before the poor thing realizes she hasn't had a full meal?" Uncle John ordered in the form of a question.  
   The buggy ride jostled Perpetua back to sleep. Pat talked softly so as not to wake her. "Thank you both for a wonderful taste of home." The moment he'd said it, he realized the thoughtlessness of his remark. He would never intentionally hurt Jency's feelings about her cooking. "I mean--being with you has reminded me of my family in Fernandina. I miss them a great deal."
   Riding up to their front door, Pat dismounted and helped Jency and the baby down from the buggy. He didn’t go inside. Instead, he shook his uncle's hand and kissed the back of his aunt's on their front stoop.
   "Well, son, we'll write to your father and tell him what a fine man he has in you. Be sure and come visit us again when you get leave. Don't be a stranger."
   "I won't, sir." On his horse, "Thanks again, Uncle."
   "Goodbye, Pat." A tender smile lit Jency's face. Perpetua whimpered. "I must see to my little one."
   Riding away, Pat aimed his ear in the direction of Uncle John's house.  Curious, he thought, how similar a child's cry was to that of a woman's.