Category Archives: American History

The Wilderness Road, Setting for “The Road to Understanding”

According to Ancestry.com, the Wilderness Road “was only a crude trail; only pack teams could cross the mountains. Pioneers coming from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and the Carolinas before 1796 found it necessary to unload their Conestoga Wagons at Sapling Grove … Continue reading →

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The Infamous War of Jenkins’s Ear? Never Heard of It?

Have you ever heard of the War of Jenkins’s Ear? If not, you are not alone.  This particular war took place in colonial Georgia. It involved both Spain and England in a dispute over the land between South Carolina and … Continue reading →

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What You Do Not Know About July 4

On 2 July 2014, The Washington Post shared a different perspective on July 4, rather than the tale of two countries finding their separate paths. So today, while I am off enjoying a family cookout (something a vegetarian avoids at … Continue reading →

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

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 , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

How Did Baker’s Chocolate® Get Its Name?

 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 →

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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

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 →

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I. W. Harper Bourbon Comes Home

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 →

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The Beginnings of the Greyhound Bus Company

In 1914, a young Swedish minor named Car Eric Wickman left his job as a diamond drill operator in the rugged Mesabi Iron Ore Range in Hibbing, Minnesota, to open a Hupmobile (Goodyear Tire) franchise. The venture cost him $3000. … Continue reading →

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A Changing of the Guard…

This is not meant to be a political post, so NO “haters,” please. As an author, I DO NOT discuss politics or religion publicly. Heck, I barely discuss those topics with family and friends, for I consider both quite personal … Continue reading →

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John Spilsbury and the First Jigsaw Puzzle

 Okay, over Christmas I gave and received several jigsaw puzzles. I do puzzles on my Kindle Fire every evening. The presents I gave were those personalized puzzles where a person receives a puzzle of his or her hometown or community … Continue reading →

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