Category Archives: American History

Finalists for the 2017 Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense

Posted on June 18, 2017 by

I am proud to be among these fabulous writers!!! Congrats to all!!!! The DAPHNE DU MAURIER AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MYSTERY/SUSPENSE –Published Division Finalists for 2017 are: CATEGORY (SERIES) ROMANTIC MYSTERY/SUSPENSE Man of Action by Janie Crouch – Author Deep … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Black Opal Books, British history, eBooks, historical fiction, history, Living in the Regency, marriage, mystery, primogenture, Regency era, Regency romance, romance, suspense, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Exercise Tiger, a Tragic Rehearsal for D-Day

Posted on June 6, 2017 by

Most of us know something of D-Day. On June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline, to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower called the … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, British history, Great Britain, history, Living in the UK, military, war | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Origin of a Sea Shantie: “What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor?”

Posted on May 4, 2017 by

“What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor?” was a work song, mainly sung on ships with a large number of crewmen. According to Song Facts, it is one of the oldest Anglo-Saxon sea shanties, one sung by the Indiamen … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, British history, British Navy, music, tradtions | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How Did Baker’s Chocolate® Get Its Name?

Posted on May 1, 2017 by

 Edible Traditions tells us, “In North America English colonists loved chocolate too, and in the early 18th century it was an established beverage throughout the 13 colonies. Direct trade routes from theWest Indies and the absence of tariffs made cacao … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, business, commerce | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Chief John Norton, Real-Life Model for a Character in “The Prosecution of Mr. Darcy’s Cousin,” a 2016 Finalist for the Chanticleer International Book Awards

Posted on April 24, 2017 by

One of the characters in my latest Austenesque novel, The Prosecution of Mr. Darcy’s Cousin, is modeled upon that of John Norton (Teyoninhokarawen), who was a Mohawk Indian chief of Scottish birth. Norton attended school in Scotland and was a … Continue reading →

Posted in America, American History, Austen Authors, British history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How Did Smith Brothers Cough Drops Get Its Name?

Posted on March 10, 2017 by

William (Trade) and Andrew (Mark) were the sons of James Smith, who moved his family from St. Armand, Quebec, to Poughkeepsie, New York in 1847. A carpenter by trade, Smith meant to open a restaurant, Smith’s Dining Saloon, in his … Continue reading →

Posted in American History | Tagged | 2 Comments

I. W. Harper Bourbon Comes Home

Posted on February 28, 2017 by

I. W. Harper History website tells us that Isaac Wolfe Bernheim was born in Germany in 1848, and by 1867 had arrived in New York at the age of 19 and with only 4 American dollars in his pocket . … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, company, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment