Lessons Learned from the Publishing World

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Regina Jeffers
The Real Costs of Self-Publishing a Book | Mediashift | PBS www.pbs.org

The Real Costs of Self-Publishing a Book | Mediashift | PBS
http://www.pbs.org

With the changing world of the publishing business, authors must learn new lessons or be left by the wayside. Over the past year, I experienced more than one “lesson” as I moved forward in my career.

Since late 2008, I published my novels with Ulysses Press, named five times as one of Publishers Weekly’s ten “fastest-growing small publishers.” My time with Ulysses was wonderful in the aspect they took a complete unknown and presented her multiple contracts. They financed many of my public appearances, including one at the Smithsonian, and I would be happy to remain with them, but they made a business decision no longer to publish fiction. As such, we parted ways in 2014.

That left me with the choice to either self-publish or look for a new publisher. I am not opposed to self publishing, having released a number of titles on my own, most prominently, the later part of the “Realm” series after Ulysses decided not to continue with the books, but I wished to prove to myself that I could locate another publisher willing to contract my work. I realize it was a bit egotistical, but I knew I had nothing to lose. I am not overly agitated when someone tells me “no.” I cut my losses and move on.

All that being said, in my search for a new publisher, I discovered some cautionary tales that I would like to share.

1) Many of the larger publishers now have “side” POD (print on demand) presses that they use for those who they think will require a bit more work to bring to the table. These subsidiary POD presses charge the author for editing, cover design, interior design, etc. Be aware as a beginning author that you know the parameters of what is being offered before you sign anything.
2) Most publishers are converting files to POD to eliminate the cost of books setting in a warehouse. This affects the contract and the possibility of the author purchasing the hard file for the book when the contract expires.
3) Many of the contracts for a book are now only for 2 – 3 years rather than the traditional seven years.
4) The author is expected to generate outlets to publicize his/her book. Smaller presses, but large ones, as well, have cut their staffs ,and there is no one to assist with publicity. Generally speaking, I find most publishers are willing to assist, but the responsibility for generating the ideas often must come from the author.
These are some of the questions I was asked as part of several different marketing surveys sent to me by potential publishers:

*What is it that makes your book compelling, special or unique?
*What is the author’s backstory? What makes you uniquely qualified to tell your story?
*What inspired you to write the book? How will your story inspire readers?
*Do you expect your book to be financially profitable for you? Do you understand how royalties work? What are your financial expectations regarding your work?
*Do you have a plan for marketing your book? If so, please elaborate on your plan?
*Do you have a budget for marketing your book? Have you set money aside for this purpose? Are you prepared to purchase no less than fifty copies of your book for personal marketing?
*Have you determined the primary market for your book? Is so, please describe your ideal reader. Is there a secondary market? How will you reach these readers?
*What is the age demographic? Gender? Culture? Political? Professional? Describe your ideal reader in those terms.
*Does your book have a “built-in” demographic? Students? Schools? Employees? Professional Organizations? Social Networks? Book Clubs?
*Do you have any background at public speaking? If so, please detail experience.
*Do you have any background at marketing? If so, please detail experience.
*Do you have any background at running a business? If so, please detail experience.
*Do you have any media connections? Newspapers? Magazines? Television? Film?
*Detail an experience in your life in which you have demonstrated tenacity and ingenuity.
*Can you demonstrate how many books your title will sell within the first ninety days of publication?
*On what date will you be ready to begin marketing your book?

[If you have not thought about some of these questions, perhaps you should. They are the way of the future.]

5) Many publishers expect the author to purchase large quantities of books for giveaways, other promo items, etc. They are sold to the author at a reduced price, but some demand the author purchase as many as 1000 copies. This goes beyond the customary purchases. I do LOTS of book festivals, author events, etc., and regularly purchase copies for those book signing opportunities and for giveaways, but I balk at the idea that I must purchase 1000 copies of a book before the publisher will consider me as an author. It is the blending of the POD presses and the traditional publishers that is creating such issues.

6) Several publishers do not offer complete copy editing. They will edit only the first 50-75 pages and then send the author a “summary” of the type of mistakes he/she regularly commits. I spent years and years in an English classroom, but I do not catch ALL my errors. We all know we read what we think is on the page. If the author wishes for another to edit the full book, then the POD business model kicks in again, with a charge for the services.

7) Up front royalty payments are becoming a thing of the past being replaced by a higher percentage of the sale, with no holding funds for returns, etc.

8) Many presses will no longer accept returns, which makes bookstores hesitant about ordering the book. This affects the choices readers experience at a bookstore. Fewer “new” authors are showing up there. Only tried and true authors appear on the shelf.

I have a few more horror stories to share from my search, but I will save those for another day. I did find two new publishers, and the books will soon be released, but I made concessions based on MY needs. Not every format works for every author. We are individuals and must discover what works best for each of us. Happy Writing!
Released April 13, 2015

UnknownElizabeth Bennet’s Deception: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary
What if Fitzwilliam Darcy refused to approach Elizabeth Bennet when he observes her upon the grounds of Pemberley? What if Elizabeth permits Mr. Darcy to think her the one ruined by Mr. Wickham? What if love is not enough to bring two souls together?

FITZWILLIAM DARCY’s pride makes the natural leap to ELIZABETH BENNET’s ruination when the lady appears, without notice, upon Pemberley’s threshold to plead for Darcy’s assistance in locating his long-time enemy, George Wickham. Initially, Darcy cannot look beyond the pain of lost hopes, but when Charles Bingley demands that Darcy act with honor, Darcy assumes the task. Even so, the idea of delivering Miss Elizabeth into the hand of Mr. Wickham leaves Darcy raw with anguish.

Yet, Darcy loves Elizabeth Bennet too much to see her brought low. He sets his heartbreak aside to save the woman he loves, but it is not long before Darcy realizes Elizabeth practices a deception, one Darcy permits so he might remain at her side long enough to convince the lady only in each other can they find happiness. Their adventure takes more twists and turns than does the original “Pride and Prejudice,” but the reader will enjoy the devotion displayed by Darcy and Elizabeth as they bring Wickham to the line in Lydia Bennnet’s defense, as well as their working their way through multiple misconstructions and vulnerabilities. Darcy’s final wooing of Elizabeth brings two very private individuals to a very public declaration of their love.

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Released April 16, 2015

Unknown-2Mr. Darcy’s Fault: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary Novella

What if an accident prevents Elizabeth Bennet from reading Mr. Darcy’s letter of apology? What if said letter goes missing and ends up in the hands of George Wickham? What if Mr. Wickham plans to use the evidence of both Georgiana Darcy’s ruination and Darcy’s disdain for the Bennets to his benefit? How will Darcy counter Wickham’s plans and claim happiness with Elizabeth Bennet?

When he notices his long-time enemy in the vicinity of Hunsford Cottage, FITZWILLIAM DARCY means to put an end to an assignation between ELIZABETH BENNET and Mr. Wickham, but Darcy is not prepared for the scene which greets him in Rosings Woods. Elizabeth lies injured and crumpled beneath one of trees, and in order to save her, by Society’s standards, Darcy must compromise Elizabeth. Needless to say, Darcy does not mind claiming Elizabeth to wife, but what of the lady’s affections? Can Darcy tolerate Elizabeth’s emotions being engaged elsewhere?

Compelled into an engagement she least desires, Elizabeth Bennet thinks it impossible she could ever care for the arrogant Mr. Darcy, but the man proves more irresistible than Elizabeth first assumes. Yet, just when Elizabeth begins to believe happiness is within their grasps, Mr. Wickham reappears in her life with a “proposal” Elizabeth cannot refuse, and it is all Mr. Darcy’s fault.
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Released May 12, 2015

Unknown-1His Irish Eve
When the Earl of Greenwall demands his only son, Viscount Stafford, retrieve the viscount’s by-blow, everything in ADAM LAWRENCE’s life of dissipation changes. Six years prior, Lawrence released his mistress, Cathleen Donnell, from his protection, only to learn in hindsight that Cathleen was with child. Stafford arrives in Cheshire to discover not only a son, but also two daughters, along with a strong-minded woman, who fascinates Stafford from the moment of their first encounter.

AOIFE KENNICE, the children’s cousin and caregiver, appears impervious to Stafford’s masculine charms, as one of England’s most infamous rakes. In truth, Aoife is not immune as she pretends; rather she cannot imagine herself as the object of more than a flirtation on the part of the viscount. On balance, they are worlds apart: Aoife is the daughter of a minor Irish baron and the opposite of her beautiful cousin Cathleen, who possessed all the skills to lure in a handsome viscount. To make matters worst, Aoife maintains the family’s sheep farm to support Stafford’s family. A “lady” Aoife is not.

Set against the backdrop of the Peterloo Massacre, a battle begins: A fight Adam must win-a fight for the heart of a woman worth knowing, his Irish “Eve.”
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Released May 27, 2015

HAHSHis American Heartsong

LAWRENCE LOWERY, Lord Hellsman, has been the dutiful elder son his whole life, but when his father Baron Blakehell arranges a marriage with the insipid Annalee Dryburgh, Lowery must choose between his responsibility to his future estate and the one woman who makes sense in his life. By Society’s standards, MISS ARABELLA TILNEY is completely wrong to be the future baroness–she is an American hoyden, who demands that Lowery do the impossible: Be the man he always dreamed of being. (A Companion Novel from the Realm Series)
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Arriving June 16, 2015

PoMDC Cover-2-2The Prosecution of Mr. Darcy’s Cousin: A Pride and Prejudice Mystery

Fitzwilliam Darcy is enjoying his marital bliss. His wife, the former Elizabeth Bennet, presented him two sons and a world of contentment. All is well until “aggravation” rears its head when Darcy receives a note of urgency from his sister Georgiana. In truth, Darcy never fully approved of Georgiana’s joining with their cousin, Major General Edward Fitzwilliam, for Darcy assumed the major general held Georgiana at arm’s length, dooming Darcy’s sister to a life of unhappiness.

Dutifully, Darcy and Elizabeth rush to Georgiana’s side when the major general leaves his wife and daughter behind, with no word of his whereabouts and no hopes of Edward’s return. Forced to seek his cousin in the slews of London’s underbelly, at length, Darcy discovers the major general and returns Fitzwilliam to his family.

Even so, the Darcys’ troubles are far from over. During the major general’s absence from home, witnesses note Fitzwilliam’s presence in the area of two horrific murders. When Edward Fitzwilliam is arrested for the crimes, Darcy must discover the real culprit before his cousin is hanged for the crimes and the Fitzwilliam name marked with shame.
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Regina-270x300Regina Jeffers is the award-winning author of 25 novels. She writes cozy mysteries, Austenesque pieces, and Regency romance. Join her  on … 
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Posted in Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, publishing, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Chemical Warfare During the Napoleonic Wars

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Regina Jeffers
Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald. Photograph Source: Public Domain ~ http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/naval/p/Napoleonic-Wars-Admiral-Lord-Thomas-Cochrane.htm

Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald. Photograph Source: Public Domain ~ http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/naval/p/Napoleonic-Wars-Admiral-Lord-Thomas-Cochrane.htm

In 1812, Prince George received a plan outlining the use of “unusual” methods to defeat Napoleon Bonaparte. The plan came to the future George IV from Captain Sir Thomas, Lord Cochrane. At the time, Wellesley’s successes in Spain were sporadic, and the Royal Navy struggled with the blockades of French ports. Cochrane’s plan offered hopes of a quick victory over the French.

Cochrane quickly rose through the naval ranks from midshipman to lieutenancy (earned in three short years) and later received command of his own ship, the HMS Speedy. Although the Speedy was but a 14 cannon sloop, Cochrane managed to capture the Spanish frigate Gamo, for which he earned praise. Cochrane possessed strategic cunning, which should have served him well in his position, but he also possessed the uncanny ability to “insult” his superiors by pointing out their shortcomings.

Fortunately for Cochrane, Henry Dundas, first Viscount Melville, arrived in London in 1804 as First Lord of the Admiralty. Melville presented Cochrane with the command of the frigate Pallas and permission to patrol the North Atlantic waters. Within two months, Cochrane earned 75,000 pounds sterling in prize money. Napoleon marked Cochrane with the name “The Sea Wolf.” [le loupe des mers]

Needless to say a person with such charisma cannot sustain the favor of the Crown for long. Part of Cochrane’s woes came via the court martial trial of Admiral James Gambier after the action at Aix Roads in 1809. Cochrane managed to drive all but two of the French ships ashore during the battle. The battle lasted for three days, but it failed to destroy the French fleet. Cochrane blamed Gambier’s inaction for the English failure. Cochrane proved a poor public speaker during the trial, and public humiliation followed with Gambier’s exoneration. He also earned numerous political foes in Parliament for his reform tendencies. It was during his time as a MP for Honiton that Cochrane proposed his plan to Prince George.

The first weapon Cochrane suggested was the “sulphur ship” or “stink vessel.” Cochrane used a similar device at Aix Roads and knew some success. Cochrane sent three ships loaded with 1500 barrels of gunpowder and shell into the 11 ships of the line of the French fleet. These floating “explosion ships” were set off by fuses.

Cochrane suggested a hulk rigged with explosives. The English would remove the decks and reinforced the hull with timbers. A layer of clay would be spread and topped with scraps of metal. A thick layer of gunpowder would follow. At length, rows of shells and of carcasses of dead animals would top the gunpowder.

The explosion ship would be towed into place and anchored. The explosion would send the animal carcasses and metal scraps arcing in a shower upon the enemy.

Cochrane proposed a follow-up attack upon land fortifications. Abandoned hulls would again be used. Clay would cover the hull, but layers of charcoal and sulphur would be spread upon the upper decks. The hull would be situated close to land so the stick would carry inward once the British lit the charcoal. Cochrane thought the fumes would send the enemy running away, permitting the British to land and push the enemy back.

The Prince Regent sought the advice of Sir William Congreve, Frederick Augustus (the Duke of York), George, Lord Keith, and Lord Exmouth. Although the prince’s advisors saw the potential for a quick victory by using these devices, they also feared like reprisals upon England from the French. Prinny rejected Cochrane’s proposal. Cochrane refused to share the plans again with others. Cochrane was charged with illegal financial manipulations in 1814 during the London Stock Exchange scandal. He was imprisoned, dismissed from the Royal Navy, and forfeited his knighthood.

SOURCES USED TO WRITE THIS PIECE:
Royal Museum Greenwich 

History Net 

Westminster Abbey 

Military History 
The scheme described in this blog post is a plot point in my retelling of Jane Austen’s “Persuasion,” as Captain Frederick Wentworth becomes involved with the subterfuge of those who plan to break Cochrane from jail.
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CFWP Crop2Captain Frederick Wentworth’s Persuasion: Jane Austen’s Classic Retold Through His Eyes
The love affair behind Jane Austen’s classic, Persuasion, rests at the heart of this retelling from Captain Frederick Wentworth’s point of view.

He loved her from the moment their eyes met some eight years prior, but Frederick Wentworth is determined to prove to Anne Elliot that she made a mistake by refusing him. Persuaded by her family and friends of his lack of fortune, Anne sent him away, but now he is back with a fortune earned in the war, and it is Anne, whose circumstance have brought her low. Wentworth means to name another to replace her, but whenever he looks upon Anne’s perfect countenance, his resolve wavers, and he finds himself lost once again to his desire for her. Return to the Regency and Austen’s most compelling and mature love story.
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And to keep things interesting in the Austenesque world, the former Colonel Fitzwilliam (from Pride and Prejudice) joins Wentworth in the pursuit of smugglers and insurgents in my upcoming cozy mystery,

PoMDC Cover-2-2The Prosecution of Mr. Darcy’s Cousin: A Pride and Prejudice Mystery (arriving June 16)

Fitzwilliam Darcy is enjoying his marital bliss. His wife, the former Elizabeth Bennet, presented him two sons and a world of contentment. All is well until “aggravation” rears its head when Darcy receives a note of urgency from his sister Georgiana. In truth, Darcy never fully approved of Georgiana’s joining with their cousin, Major General Edward Fitzwilliam, for Darcy assumed the major general held Georgiana at arm’s length, dooming Darcy’s sister to a life of unhappiness.
Dutifully, Darcy and Elizabeth rush to Georgiana’s side when the major general leaves his wife and daughter behind, with no word of his whereabouts and no hopes of Edward’s return. Forced to seek his cousin in the slews of London’s underbelly, at length, Darcy discovers the major general and returns Fitzwilliam to his family.
Even so, the Darcys’ troubles are far from over. During the major general’s absence from home, witnesses note Fitzwilliam’s presence in the area of two horrific murders. When Edward Fitzwilliam is arrested for the crimes, Darcy must discover the real culprit before his cousin is hanged for the crimes and the Fitzwilliam name marked with shame.

Posted in British history, Great Britain, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Regency era | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Brilliance of an “Unequal” Marriage as a Plot Point in Austen’s Pride and Prejudice

Posted on June 16, 2015 by Regina Jeffers
Dressing for the Netherfield Ball in Pride and Prejudice: Regency ... janeaustensworld.wordpress.com

Dressing for the Netherfield Ball in Pride and Prejudice: Regency …
janeaustensworld.wordpress.com

In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen presents the reader  with three very eligible bachelors: the sharp-tongued, prideful Darcy, the amiable and handsome Bingley, and the smooth-talking military officer of Wickham. Analysis of these characters is plentiful, but I hope to open up a dialogue on the our favorite villain, Mr. George Wickham, as well as to look at the brilliance of an “unequal” marriage as a plot point. 

A more histrionic author than was Jane Austen would likely portray Mr. Wickham as the illegitimate half brother to Darcy, making Wickham’s intense hatred for his childhood friend more logical. Instead, the reader is left to guess at Wickham’s motives in his manipulations of Darcy. Where is the gratitude for old Darcy’s support of his godson? Does Wickham seriously think he has the right to challenge Darcy’s claim to Pemberley? 

Needless to say, if Wickham were Darcy’s half-brother, then the light Austen shines on the Darcys and the Fitzwilliams would diminish greatly. “Hear me in silence. My daughter and my nephew are formed for each other. They are descended, on the material side, from the same noble line; and, on the father’s, from respectable, honorable, and ancient, though untitled, families.” (Lady Catherine to Elizabeth Bennet, Chapter 56 of Pride and Prejudice) 

Picture of Pride and Prejudice www.listal.com

Picture of Pride and Prejudice
http://www.listal.com

If Wickham was old Mr. Darcy’s by-blow, then Lydia’s marriage to Wickham would representative parallel to that of Elizabeth’s to Darcy. Yet, our dearest Jane does not lead her readers along those lines: Wickham proves his motives as punitive, and the de Bourghs  become the symbol of the aristocracy’s degeneration, a high-born example of bad manners and ill breeding. Although in the quote above, Lady Catherine claims both Darcy and Anne de Bourgh as “formed for each other,” Austen tells us of Elizabeth’s first impression of the deBourghs: “When, after examining the mother, in whose countenance and deportment she soon found some resemblance of Mr. Darcy, she turned her eyes on the daughter, she could almost have joined in Maria’s astonishment at her being so thin, and so small. There was neither in figure nor face any likeness between the ladies. Miss De Bourgh was pale and sickly; her features, though not plain, were insignificant; and she spoke very little, except in a low voice to Mrs. Jenkinson, in whose appearance there was nothing remarkable, and who was entirely engaged in listening to what she said, and placing a screen in the proper direction before her eyes.”

As we all know, Elizabeth vehemently rejects Darcy’s first proposal. 

“But is not merely this affair,” she continued, “on which my dislike is founded. Long before it had taken place my opinion of you was decided. Your character was unfolded in the recital which I received many months ago from Mr. Wickham. On this subject what can you have to say? In what imaginary act of friendship can you here defend yourself? or under what misrepresentation can you here impose upon others?”

And later, Elizabeth adds the deepest cut: 

“You are mistaken, Mr. Darcy, if you suppose that the mode of your declaration affected me in any other way than as it spared me the concern which I might have felt in refusing you, had you behaved in a more gentleman-like manner.”

What Elizabeth is essentially saving is “if you [Darcy] were half the gentleman as Mr. Wickham.” 

 

Pride and Prejudice (2005) - Visual Parables www.readthespirit.com Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet start off on the wrong foot at a ball. (c) 2005 Focus Features

Pride and Prejudice (2005) – Visual Parables
http://www.readthespirit.com
Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet start off on the wrong foot at a ball. (c) 2005 Focus Features

Darcy’s letter then proves to Elizabeth and the reader that he is not the ill-bred male version of his Aunt Catherine. He is not prideful. Just a prig. Women love this moment because innately we think we can mold the man we love into a better person. A woman would think it possible to lead Darcy into more comfort in Society, but no woman in her right mind would attempt to change a prideful, prejudiced man. It is at this point in the novel that the reader changes his/her opinion of Darcy. 

Austen displays her Tory upbringing in the confrontation between Elizabeth and Lady Catherine. “He is a gentleman; I am a gentleman’s daughter; so far we are equal.”

Needless to say, Lady Catherine does not take well to Elizabeth’s temerity. She attempts to place warn Elizabeth not to stretch Elizabeth’s social sphere. “True. You are a gentleman’s daughter. But who was your mother? Who are your uncles and aunts? Do not imagine me ignorant of their condition.” In other words, Mr. Bennet might marry below him, but Lady Catherine’s family would NEVER consider such an alignment. 

Elizabeth’s Tory background as the daughter of a country squire shows her to be made of sterner stuff, a characteristic Pemberley will require if it is to survive the demise of the great estates and the Industrial Revolution. It goes back to the exogamous marriage vs. the endogamous marriage we discussed previously. The inbreeding of the endogamous relationship is creating a vacuum. Elizabeth Bennet will be the shot of new blood that Darcy and Pemberley require to survive. The marriage’s success lies in the fact that it is unequal – a give-and-take that brings new life to Pemberley. 

What do you think? Do you have any insights into the ideas presented in this piece? Agree? Disagree? Join in the conversation. 

For more on Austen’s role as a Tory daughter, I suggest reading Patrick Parrinder’s Nation & Novel: The English Novel from its Origin to the Present Day (Oxford University Press, 2006).

 

 

Posted in British history, Great Britain, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

A Writ of Error as a Plot Point in “The Prosecution of Mr. Darcy’s Cousin”

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

For my latest cozy mystery, part of the action is a trial set in 1816. Many of the tenets of court law we now accept as commonplace were not part of the court system during the Regency Period. For example, the defendant would be expected to argue his own case. A barrister could provide the defendant advice on points of law, but the proof of innocence rested purely on the defendant’s shoulders. Neither were witnesses for the defendant “required” to attend the trial’s proceedings. Needless to say, a writ of error could send the outcome of the case to a court of appeals, especially in the case of a wealthier defendant, who could afford the expense.

In The Prosecution of Mr. Darcy’s Cousin, Fitzwilliam Darcy’s cousin, Major General Fitzwilliam (Colonel Fitzwilliam in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice) is accused of a series of crimes of which he has no memory for he is suffering from what we would now call “PTSD.” (There was no official name for the stress of war at the time.)

Darcy must use every bit of cunning he possesses to prove his cousin innocent for it would be a great victory for the “unwashed masses” to convict the second son of an earl for the crimes. All of London is set against the major general. If Darcy does not know success at the trial, then his only hope would be a writ of error. But how does a writ of error become a point of appellation in the British legal system? And what role would the House of Lords play in this process? For those of us in the States, many facets of the English legal system is as foreign as the statute of limitations in juvenile cases. So, let us explore some of the differences.

“The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees an accused the right to representation by counsel in serious criminal prosecutions. The responsibility for appointing counsel in federal criminal proceedings for those unable to bear the cost of representation has historically rested in the federal judiciary. Before the enactment of the Criminal Justice Act in 1964 (CJA), there was no authority to compensate appointed counsel for their services or litigation expenses, and federal judges depended on the professional obligation of lawyers to provide pro bono publico representation to defendants unable to retain counsel.“ (United States Courts Services and Forms)

However, for many centuries in England, the law permitted appeals to the House of Lords. The HOL also served as the final Court of Appeals for Scotland and Ireland. The Appellate Jurisdiction Act of 1876 continued the appellate jurisdiction of the House, as well as to provide the suitor a statutory right of appeal to the House of Lords. The 3rd Section of that Act says an appeal from any order or judgment of her Majesty’s Court of Appeal in England lies to the House of Lords.

In Ireland, the Irish Judicature Act of 1877 gives the right of appeal to the House of Lords in all decisions, judgments, decrees or orders from the Irish Court of Appeal that were previously appealable to the House of Lords or to the Privy Council. The right of appeal by way of writ of error from the decision of the Queen’s Bench Division of the Irish High Court of Justice is also preserved in this Irish Judicature Act.

The Scots made no alteration in the right of appeal. The Appellate Jurisdiction Act of 1876 provided Scotland the right of appeal to the House of Lords from any order or judgment of any court of Scotland from which error or an appeal lay to the House of Lords by common law or by statue at the time of passing the act.

An appeal of a civil case in the English courts must be sent up by the Supreme Court of Judicature in England (Her Majesty’s Court of Appeal).The only judicial proceedings by which matters of a criminal nature could formerly be brought before the House of Lords was by writ of error.

A writ of error is the only means a judicial proceeding in a criminal matter may be brought before the House of Lords. From ancient times, a writ of error could be brought in England at common law, both in civil and criminal proceedings from inferior Courts of Record to the Court of Queen’s Bench and from thence direct to the House of Lords. Numerous statutes define the means by which a writ of error was brought to the attention of the House of Lords. The writ must first come before the judges or barons of the other two courts in the Exchequer Chamber before coming to the House of Lords.

Time limitations for a writ of error in a civil case originally was set at twenty years. The Common Law Procedure Act of 1852 abolished writs of error in civil cases, but they remained in criminal cases. Such was true until the Judicature Acts of 1873 and 1875. The acts abolished writs of error in bills of exception and proceedings in civil cases, but nothing in the acts affect the practice and procedure in criminal proceedings.
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Unknown-3For more information on the legal system, I would recommend Charles Marsh Denison and Charles Henderson Scott’s “The Practice & Procedure of the House of Lords in English, Scotch & Irish Appeal Cases Under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act, 1876.”

 

 

 

 
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PoMDC Cover-2-2The Prosecution of Mr. Darcy’s Cousin: A Pride and Prejudice Mystery from Pegasus Books

Fitzwilliam Darcy is enjoying his marital bliss. His wife, the former Elizabeth Bennet, presented him two sons and a world of contentment. All is well until “aggravation” rears its head when Darcy receives a note of urgency from his sister Georgiana. In truth, Darcy never fully approved of Georgiana’s joining with their cousin, Major General Edward Fitzwilliam, for Darcy assumed the major general held Georgiana at arm’s length, dooming Darcy’s sister to a life of unhappiness.

Dutifully, Darcy and Elizabeth rush to Georgiana’s side when the major general leaves his wife and daughter behind, with no word of his whereabouts and no hopes of Edward’s return. Forced to seek his cousin in the slews of London’s underbelly, at length, Darcy discovers the major general and returns Fitzwilliam to his family.

Even so, the Darcys’ troubles are far from over. During the major general’s absence from home, witnesses note Fitzwilliam’s presence in the area of two horrific murders. When Edward Fitzwilliam is arrested for the crimes, Darcy must discover the real culprit before the authorities hanged his cousin and the Fitzwilliam name knew a lifetime of shame.

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Posted in British history, Great Britain, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Mysterious Death of Lord Darnley

Posted on June 12, 2015 by Regina Jeffers
A contemporary portrait of Darnley ~ http://www.historicmysteries.com/murder-lord-darnley/

A contemporary portrait of Darnley ~ http://www.historicmysteries.com/murder-lord-darnley/

What do we know of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley? He was the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. Darnley was tall enough to entice Mary, who was reportedly near six foot tall. He was a Catholic, but knew Anglicanism while attending the court of Elizabeth I. He was in line for the English throne though his mother, the Countess of Lennox. He and Mary married on 29 July 1565 in the Chapel at Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh, much to the dismay of many of Mary’s advisors. 

Supposedly, Darnley made enemies among the Scottish lords. He was arrogant and bad tempered. Even so, divorce was not possible for a Roman Catholic. 

Henry demanded the Crown Matrimonial from his wife, which would mean he would become King of Scotland if Mary died. She permitted him the title of King, but refused the legally binding Crown Matrimonial. Darnley blamed Mary’s refusal on David Rizzio, an Italian Catholic, who served as Mary’s  private secretary. Darnley, therefore, joined forced with several Protestant nobles to murder Rizzio. 

At a supper on 9 March 1566 at Holyroodhouse, Darnley and his coconspirators confronted Rizzio. Although Mary attempted to resolve the differences, Rizzio was stabbed 47 times. 

How did Darnley die? Darnley and Mary stayed at Kirk o’Field, a large church outside of Edinburgh on the evening of 9 February 1567. Conspirators secreted two barrels of gunpowder in the room below the one in which Darnley slept (the one assigned to Mary). Darnley was reportedly recovering from smallpox. [Many believe that Darnley suffered from syphilis.] At two of the morning, an explosion occurred, sending Darnley’s body hurtling some forty feet from the house. This find was part of the mystery. Should not Darnley’s body be found within the rubble of the explosion? Darnley’s body (and that of his servant found close by) displayed signs of strangulation.  (Historic Mysteries) 

Mary was away at a wedding upon the night of her husband’s death. 

Suspicion says Darnley learned of the plot beforehand and fled into the night and was killed then. Initially, the soldier who found the bodies was thought to be innocent, but was later arrested for the crimes, tried, and executed. Mary fled to England, only to be imprisoned by Elizabeth I and executed in 1587. 

One of the theories of the death comes to us from ScotlandsMary.com. “The man who had the most to gain from the death of Henry Stuart, was James Stuart, Earl of Moray, Mary’s half brother. He may not have physically committed the murder but he was the one behind the scenes pulling the strings and orchestrating the development of the plan.

Hugh R. Williamson wrote:
“Whoever the actual murderers were and however the crime was accomplished, and the mystery is never likely to be solved, there is no reasonable doubt that the man behind it all was Moray.

“After he was pardoned and recalled from England, he was never absent – except when it was dangerous to be present – from his sister’s side.

“He pretended to befriend both Darnley and Bothwell, playing on Darnley’s jealousy and on Bothwell’s growing affection for the queen.

“He had to accomplish an even more sensational coup before the end of that year 1567. In December, Mary would be twenty-five, and on her twenty-fifth birthday she would, by Scottish custom, have the right to annul or confirm all grants made during her minority.

“Moray knew well that at that moment his power and his wealth would be taken from him. But in any event, Mary on her twenty-fifth birthday was his prisoner in Lochleven Castle and he was Regent of Scotland, ruling in the name of the baby prince.”

Posted in British history, Great Britain, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Mysterious Death of Lord Darnley

Cloutie Dumpling? A Recipe for Fun

Posted on June 11, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

I enjoyed an afternoon of tea yesterday with some friends, one of whom served what she termed to be a traditional Cloutie Dumpling from Scotland. I am all in for traditional foods, especially those so tasty. (Yes, I have tried Haggis.)

Chicken & Dumplings Recipe women.programming4.us

Chicken & Dumplings Recipe
women.programming4.us

Now, I live in the South. When we say “dumpling,” we customarily mean a doughy bread cooked in a broth. Chicken and dumplings is quite popular. 

However, the Cloutie Dumpling is more of the nature of fruit cake. (I am one of those people who love fruit cake every Christmas [Yes, I am weird.], and I found this recipe is very much like my Christmas pudding one.)

As I understand it, Cloutie can also be seen as spelled as “Clootie,” which comes from the cloth in which the pudding is traditionally boiled. 

SiliconeMoulds.com Blog: Scottish Clootie Dumpling siliconemoulds.blogspot.com (Stupid Me! I should have taken a picture with my phone - borrowed this one from the internet.)

SiliconeMoulds.com Blog: Scottish Clootie Dumpling
siliconemoulds.blogspot.com (Stupid Me! I should have taken a picture with my phone – borrowed this one from the internet.)

Here is the recipe my friend shared:
125 g/4 oz. of suet (finely chopped)
1 tsp baking powder
200 g/ 4 oz. of currants and sultanas
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1 tsp ginger
250 g/ 8 oz of self-rising flour
75 g/ 3 oz brown sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup (maple syrup)
1 cup milk
1 tsp nutmeg
125 g/ 4 oz breadcrumbs
1 grated apple

Half fill a pot with water and bring it to a full boil.
Take a large piece of cheesecloth and scald it with boiling water.
Then dust the cloth with flour.
In a large bowl, first beat the eggs. Then mix in the syrup and about 1/4 of the milk. Gradually add in the dry ingredients and fruit – mixing well each time.
Place the mixture on the cheesecloth and secure. Allow enough room for the mixture to swell/rise.
Place an inverted plate on the bottom of the pan and put the pudding on it.
Boil for 3-4 hours.
Be careful not to let the water to drop below half the depth of the pudding.
Dip in cold water, remove the cloth and dry the pudding off in a medium oven.
Sprinkle with sugar and serve with cream or custard.

Here is a tip from Spark Recipes: *Clootie Dumpling traditionally used suet, which is raw beef or mutton fat, usually from around the loins and kidneys. Atora Suet is prepackaged and available in most supermarkets.
There is also a vegetarian version of Atora, called Atora Lite, which is obviously lowering fat. You can also ask for fresh suet from a butcher and then grate it yourself. Suggested substitutes are shortening, or very cold butter or margarine, as would be used for pastry making. However, the finished product will not hold together as well. 

Posted in British history, Scotland, tradtions | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Readers’ Entertainment Magazine Interview with Regina Jeffers

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

Readers-Entertainment-Logo2This is an excerpt from an interview I did with Readers’ Entertainment News. 

1. First, tell us a bit about yourself. Where you’re from? Past jobs, awards, the usual bio stuff.

Born in Huntington, West Virginia, over the years, I held many positions: waitress, tax preparer, “Girl Friday” for a media mogul, Off-Broadway performer, media literacy consultant, and a public classroom teacher for forty years. I earned multiple advanced degrees from a variety of colleges and universities. I was a Martha Holden Jennings Scholar, a Time Warner Star Teacher, Columbus (OH) Educator of the Year, and a guest panelist for the Smithsonian. I have been a daughter, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a teacher, and now an author.

2. What do you write? You’re welcome to include your latest title (shameless plug).

I began my career writing Jane Austen-inspired novels. My first, Darcy’s Passions, was a retelling of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. That book was followed by…

Jane Austen-Inspired Novels:

Darcy’s Passions: Pride and Prejudice Retold Through His Eyes
Darcy’s Temptation: A Pride and Prejudice Sequel
Captain Wentworth’s Persuasion: Jane Austen’s Classic Retold Through His Eyes
Vampire Darcy’s Desire: A Pride and Prejudice Paranormal Adventure
The Phantom of Pemberley: A Pride and Prejudice Mystery
Christmas at Pemberley: A Pride and Prejudice Holiday Sequel
The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Mystery                              The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Mystery                                      The Prosecution of Mr. Darcy’s Cousin: A Pride and Prejudice Mystery                               Elizabeth Bennet’s Deception: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary                                               Mr. Darcy’s Fault: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary Novella
“The Pemberley Ball” (a short story in The Road to Pemberley anthology)                      Honor and Hope: A Contemporary Pride and Prejudice

Regency and Contemporary Romances:

The Scandal of Lady Eleanor—Book 1 of the Realm Series (aka A Touch of Scandal)
A Touch of Velvet—Book 2 of the Realm Series
A Touch of Cashémere—Book 3 of the Realm Series                                                                      A Touch of Grace—Book 4 of the Realm Series                                                                               A Touch of Mercy—Book 5 of the Realm Series                                                                                A Touch of Love—Book 6 of the Realm Series                                                                                         A Touch of Honor—Book 7 of the Realm Series’                                                                                 His American Heartsong: A Companion Novel to the Realm Series                                           His Irish Eve                                                                                                                                            The First Wives’ Club—Book 1 of the First Wives’ Trilogy                                                      Second Chances: The Courtship Wars

Coming Soon…

Angel Comes to the Devil’s Keep
A Touch of Emeralds: The Conclusion of the Realm Series The Earl Finds His Comfort
The Earl Finds His Comfort 

Readers can preview each of my novels on my website (www.rjeffers.com).

3. Who has been the most difficult character for you to write?

In writing “extensions” of Austen’s classic tales, I am often called upon to bring to life one of her minor characters – creating a back story, a description, motivations, conflict, etc., for characters which Austen offered few details: Caroline Bingley, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Charlotte Collins, Sir Walter Elliot, Captain Harville. An audience of avid Austen fans who hold preconceived ideas of how the character looks and acts because of various film adaptations of Austen’s works compounds the problem. A writer must create Georgiana Darcy to resemble Emilia Fox from the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, and Mr. Collins must hold a strong resemblance to Tom Hollander from the 2005 film.

Of all Austen’s minor characters, I want Anne De Bourgh to know a different life. I attempted three possible scenarios for Anne’s future, and although I am more comfortable with the rendering wrote in my Christmas at Pemberley, I am not totally satisfied with the depth of Anne’s characterization. I want to know more of Lady Catherine De Bourgh’s “sickly” daughter.

4. What characters are lying on your “office floor”? Why didn’t they come to life on the page and do you think they ever will? Or why not?

When I wrote A Touch of Velvet, I expected it to lead to two stories – one for each of Velvet Aldridge’s twin sisters, Cashémere and Satiné Aldridge. Needless to say, if I thought about it, I would know better. A Touch of Velvet was to be book one of the Realm series, but four chapters into writing the story of Brantley Fowler and Velvet Aldridge, I abandoned their story line. Brantley’s sister, Lady Eleanor Fowler, and Fowler’s commanding officer, James Kerrington, were “screaming” at me to tell their story first. Book 3 was to be the story of Marcus Wellston’s discovering Cashémere Aldridge was everything he never knew he needed.

Aidan Kimbolt and Satiné Aldridge were to come to a similar realization in Book 4. Yet, as I wrote A Touch of Cashémere, I found myself growing disillusioned by Satiné’s “woe is me” attitude. (Yes, I do realize that I gave the character those qualities I came to despise, but in my opinion, Satiné was not the appropriate match for Aidan Kimbolt, a character of whom I was quite fond.) Kimbolt deserved better. At the end of book 3, Satiné is in Europe.

Instead, book 4 became Gabriel Crowden’s and Grace Nelson’s joining. Kimbolt’s story is the center of Book 5, A Touch of Mercy. At length, I brought Satiné back into the series in book 7, Baron John Swenton’s story. Swenton developed an interest in Satiné in book 3, but I was still not so happy with her. You must read A Touch of Honor to discover her fate.

5. How much time does it take you to write a book?

I can finish a book in four months, but I would prefer a minimum of five. I hand write the first draft. I realize to many this appears counterproductive, but I find I am completing two steps at once. Because my cursive writing is slower than my typing, I have time to read aloud what I am writing. This provides me a good sense of how the story “sounds.” If I need a rewrite of a scene, I recognize it immediately and fix it, or I can make a notation to revisit it after the book is complete. Then I word process the piece. Again, I read the story aloud in my head. This serves as my second draft. Eventually, I correct one chapter per day the last month prior to my deadline. Although some revision does occur, this final check is more for editing. Surprisingly, my editorial changes are minimal because of the multiple checks prior to the final copy.

6. It seems there has always been an intense love of all things Jane Austen. I know many of your books are “Austen-related.” Why do you think there is this never-ending fascination with Austen, her writing, and the Regency period?

Austen’s appeal rests in the universality of her subject matter. She focuses on themes as old as time: marriage, the generation gap, and societal pressure. Jane Austen’s stories inspire self-reflection: what we never admit to ourselves, and what we will not permit others to know. In Austen, we discover the use of the family as the building block of society. Her stories take us back to a time “when things were simpler.” Her works are a mirror to our own society: as such, the reader is presented with a protagonist whose life and social standing is similar to his/her own. Austen’s heroines are women of sense, who exemplify rational love. Meanwhile, Austen transforms distant heroes into expressively communicative heroes. It is a magical combination.

7. Any funny “researching your book stories” to share with readers?

While writing, I regularly stop to research the use of a particular phase or a historic fact. Often, such research changes the original story line. For example, I have spoken previously of writing an exquisite scene for His American Heartsong, in which the main character, Arabella, is sprayed by a skunk. I was laughing aloud as I created a scene reminiscent of a friend’s encounter with a black and white intruder. Unfortunately, my instincts screamed with the realization that there are no skunks in England. A quick check proved my hunch true. I filed the scene in the trash and created a less enjoyable one.

8. What do you find is the hardest part of writing?

I do not write comic relief well. This statement would never surprise my family and friends. I am terrible at telling jokes – being one of those people who always anticipates the punch line. I rehearse a joke in private several times before I share it with others. It is not that I do not appreciate humor. In fact, I usually start an audience’s response during a film or live performance with my own laughter. I love juxtaposition, puns, malapropos, and reversals. I simply struggle in writing the ultimate comic mix. I hold a strong appreciation of those who master satire, parody, incongruity, and the double entendre.

Posted in Jane Austen, real life tales | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Anglo-Saxon World: King Alfred, William of Normandy, and the Doomsday Book

Posted on June 9, 2015 by Regina Jeffers
Alfred The Great Remains Found? www.huffingtonpost.com

Alfred The Great Remains Found?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com

King Alfred is considered by many to be the wisest and greatest king.  As King of the West Saxons, Alfred (849 – 901) unified his people and constructed a victory against the Danes in 878 at Ethandum. Alfred led his people to civilization: founded schools, rebuilt cities, developed a code of laws, and set to right the justice system. Alfred was marked by his desire for learning. He commissioned the translation of the Latin works of Bede’s “Ecclesiastical History“; Orosius’s “History of the World“; Beothius’s “Consolations of Philosophy“; and Gregory’s “Pastoral Care” into the West Saxon dialect. He also directed the writing of “The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.” 

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle provides the reader with a history of Britain from the earliest times to 1154. The clerics who compiled the history chose the most important events of the years. The book is arranged chronologically. Most recorded events have connections to church affairs. The work records the life of the West Saxons, while speaking of personages of rank and the customs of the day. It is written in the West Saxon dialect. 

BBC - Your Paintings - William the Conqueror (1027/1028–1087) www.bbc.co.uk

BBC – Your Paintings – William the Conqueror (1027/1028–1087)
http://www.bbc.co.uk

According to History of English Literature: Part I – Early Saxon Through Milton ( page 23), “Harold II was the son of the powerful Earl Godwin, the real power in England during the preceding reign. Harold’s worthless brother Tosty leagued with King Harold of Norway (a descendant of Canute) to wrest England from its chosen ruler. At the time when William of Normandy was sailing for England. King Harold of England was forced to march into York to put down Tosty’s rebellion. At Stanfordbridge, he won a complete victory over Tosty and Harold of Norway.

“‘Meantime, Earl William (of Normandy came up from Normandy into Pevensey on the eve of St. Michael’s mass and soon constructed a castle at the port of Hastings. This was then told to King Harold; and he gathered a large force (marched two hundred miles in five days), and came to meet him at the estuary of Appledore. And there was a great slaughter made on either side.’ King Harold was slain…. William’s relationship to the House of Wessex and Edward’s promise that William should succeed him were less vlid claims than the strength of his army and his powerful position in European affairs. Edgar Atheling, the English claimant to the throne, promptly submitted: ‘On midwinter’s day Archbishop Alfred hallowed him to king at Westminster … and also swore him that he would so well govern this nation as any king before him did…. Nevertheless, he laid heavy tribute upon the men … wrought castles widely through this country, and harassed the miserable people.'”

The Domesday Book (1085) highlighted William the Conqueror’s thoroughness. It is the only survey of people of medieval England. It was another 800 years before the English people attempted another such survey. The Little Domesday book covers Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, while Great Domesday covers the remainder of England and Wales. No survey of London, Winchester and Durham was made for they were tax deferred areas. Cumberland and Westmoreland are not included for they had yet to be brought under control. 

The King’s men went into every shire to determine the number of units of hides (rural acreage) and what land belonged to the King. Also, the stock found upon the land was counted for tax purposes.

 

Posted in Anglo-Saxons, British history, Great Britain, real life tales, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Writing Craft: Description 101

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Regina Jeffers
Writing a Description of a Person |authorSTREAM www.authorstream.com

Writing a Description of a Person |authorSTREAM
http://www.authorstream.com

Trained as a journalist and a grant writer, over the last seven years, I assumed a quasi-methodical way of addressing description in my fictional writing. As a mode of discourse, description does not come naturally to me. I view my stories as they play in my head (much like a screenplay or a theatrical performance), and it would be easy for me to ignore the fact that my reader does not see what I do. Needless to say, it is my responsibility to assure that he does.

Many writers saturate their pieces with long descriptive passages, while others provide only bare bone details. Discovering a balance is the answer. Permitting the reader to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch what the author does is a testimony to the senses. The point is to create an image that closely mirrors an observer’s experience. Description should provide the same information that the reader might get directly if he was involved in the situation.

Objective description, the type one finds in technical or scientific descriptive writing, is unbiased and purposeful. In it, one does not convey an emotional response. Subjective description, on the other hand, is personal, but imprecise. Writing subjectively intrudes on the reader’s feelings. Description enlivens the narration. The writer becomes the means by which the reader experiences the situation. He assumes several roles:
• As the reader’s eyes, the writer must thoroughly describe what he sees. The relationship of items to one another. The light. The shadows. The distance. The texture. All of it must be described.
• As the reader’s ears, the writer must tend to the sounds. Loudness. Staccato. Rhythmic pattern.
• As the reader’s other senses, the writer must assure that he describes every detail. Feelings. Touch. Taste. Smell. Kinesthetic-Tactile experiences.
• As the reader’s conscious, the writer will enforce the mood he wishes to convey. Each detail layers the tone created. A mystery writer describing a deserted building will choose different details from that of an architectural slant. Choose the details, which reinforce the mood.

Descriptive Essay Writing www.slideshare.net

Descriptive Essay Writing
http://www.slideshare.net

Yet, for description not to drown the narration, the writer must first keep the intended audience ever present in his mind. What must one absolutely know about the subject or the place? What may one omit? Each descriptive passage should convey one dominant impression. Details must be carefully selected. Avoid creating tediousness by including every discernible detail.

A consistent point of view aids in the piece’s organization. Where is the writer when he describes the scene? The reader must be aware of where the writer places himself spatially. Order of location – presenting the details in a manner, which reflects their location in the scene – clarifies the nature of the details. Good description depends on the writer’s ability to convey his observations. Begin by describing the whole scene briefly and then focus on one specific part.

Remember to write unforgettable description, one must use vivid, reminiscent details. Use concrete sensory images and figurative language. Effective description conveys the experience exactly as one planned it. Use specific details, which are associated with actual items, and concrete language, which is coupled with the senses. Do not forget to cut the “deadwood,” especially vague words, such as handsome, tall, soft, etc., which offer multiple meanings/impressions. Also avoid the fancy (florid, ostentatious, embellished, lavish, etc.) choices. Use words that pin down the exact meaning. For example, using puissance instead of manliness serves no purpose if the reader must consult a dictionary to understand the passage. Impressionistic details are those, which an observer would see first? What would the observer see second? Third? And so forth? Present the details in the order in which someone would notice them.

As description acquaints the reader with the physical nature of things, certain standards are observed:
• Use “definition” when describing the unfamiliar.
• Use division/analysis, separating a whole, singular subject into its elements – slicing it into parts. This helps the reader follow the detailed description.
• Whether the previous two steps are necessary depends upon the familiarity the writer’s audience has with the subject.
• Use concrete words to describe material, color, weights, sizes, distance, etc.
• Limit the number of details to fit the purpose.
• Observe contiguity in moving from part to part.
• Use words that indicate relative postion. (i.e, to indicate space relationships, use words such as above, adjoining, abutting, alongside, below, beneath, beside, inside, left, outside, north, over, right, etc.; to indicate likeness/continuation, use words such as again, also, as…so, in the same way, likewise, similarly, thus, etc.)
• End with a brief description of the movements, behaviors, or habits of animate things.
• Include uses for inanimate things.
• Follow a thematic pattern by dividing the scene into mental categories, and regardless of their actual relationship to one another in space, describe elements that support one theme and then another theme, etc.

Overall, good description gives concrete details in a strategic sequence, which creates the piece’s mood/tone. The reader should have a strong sense of the whole scene, but should also be able to invoke specific details effortlessly.

Posted in writing | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Anglo-Saxon Christian Writings

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

Religion during the Anglo-Saxon period was more than church life; it was the cultural beat of Society. Needless to say, “literature” grew from the foundations of religion. Most of the literature of the time was written in Latin by the monks. 

Essex was the center of one of the two schools of Christianity that developed during the Anglo-Saxon period. This push by the Church produced no literature which survived into more modern times. It sprang from Augustine in Rome. 

The second surge came from Bishop Aidan and Ireland. The monks of Northumbria, including Bede, Caedmon, and Cynewulf, spread the Christian word. The literature, which survives from this period, comes to us from the Jarrow and Whitby monasteries. 

Lindisfarne.org tells us something of Saint Aidan. “The first person whose name we know who lived here on the island was St.Aidan. He was not the first human being to live here or hereabouts: Middle Stone Age Man was here from about 8000BC and New Stone Age Man from 3000BC and they left some of their unwanted rubbish behind. During the Roman Empire Britons probably had a village here. They had a name for the Island: Medcaut – a Celtic word of unknown meaning. But in 635AD, when Aidan chose the Island for the site of his monastery, we moved from prehistory into history.

“Aidan was an Irish monk from the monastery St. Columba had founded on the island of Iona. The Britons had been Christian before the Irish, since Britain, though not Ireland, was part of the Roman Empire. Some of the missionaries who first took the faith to Ireland were British: St.Patrick (the patron saint of Ireland) was the most famous but not the only one. But when the power of Rome declined the English (from North Germany) began to infiltrate into Britain and gradually turned it into England. These incoming English were pagans. Up here in the north the kingdom of Northumbria was largely created by the English warrior-leader Aethelfrith but when he was killed in battle (616AD) his children fled into exile and some of these children found their way to what is now South-West Scotland. Here they met the Irish monks of Iona and accepted the the Christian faith. Oswald, the second son of Aethelfrith, grew up determined to re-gain the throne of Northumbria and to let the pagans among his people hear about Christianity. In 633 he fought a successful battle and established himself as king, choosing Bamburgh, a natural outcrop of rock on the North-East coast, as his main fortress. He then invited the monks of Iona to send a mission and eventually Aidan arrived with 12 other monks and chose to settle on the island the English had renamed Lindisfarne.”

Optional Memorial of St. Bede the Venerable, priest and doctor www.catholicculture.org

Optional Memorial of St. Bede the Venerable, priest and doctor
http://www.catholicculture.org

Bede, the Venerable (673-735) – Bede was England’s first professional scholar. He served in the most learned spot in Western Europe at that time, the monastery of St. Paul in Jarrow in Northumbria. Bede was known to write extensively on many subjects. Two of his works remain. 

“Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation” covers the time from Caesar’s invasion to 671. Other monks continued the piece after Bede’s death. It serves as the source of information on the British Isles during ancient times. The Archives of the Roman Church served as the source for Bede’s work. Book 1 describes the topography and climate of England. The history covers the reign of Julius Caesar, the struggles against the Scots and Picts, the hardships suffered after the Roman withdrawal, and the Angles conquest. The book continues with the story of the Bishop of St. Germans and the miracles which brought him sainthood. “The Bishop of St Germans is an episcopal title which was formerly used by Anglo Saxon Bishops of Cornwall. It is one of the titles available for suffragan bishops in the Church of England, currently used by a suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Truro, in the Province of Canterbury, and is a Titular See of the Catholic Church.” (Wikipedia) The first book ends with the life of Hilda, Abbess of the monastery at Whitby, where Caedmon resided. 

(The Story of) Caedmon (690) was a laborer at the Whitby monastery. The legend has it that an angel bestowed the gift of verse writing upon him. He interpreted the scriptures. The Abbess Hilda instructed Caedmon to abandon his secular ways and join the monks at the monastery. 

In 625, Paulinus converted King Edwin and Northumbria. Paulinus was a bishop who was charged with furthering Augustine’s work. King Edwin of Northumbria married the Christian queen, Ethelberga. Although Paulinus plied Edwin for many years with the Christian doctrine, at length, Edwin accepted the teachings of Catholicism. 

Caedmon’s works were the Paraphrase, a retelling of Genesis, Exodus, and part of Daniel. Judith is a poetic retelling of a Biblical book, which is attributed to Caedmon. Caedmon’s Hymn is an erratic, short poem of praise for God. It is a nine-line alliterative poem. Exodus paraphrases Exodus 13-15, the tale of Moses and the Israelites. The confusing part of this piece is the insertion of Noah and Abraham’s sacrificing of Isaac at the parting of the Red Sea. 

Cynewulf's Christ (Open Library) openlibrary.org

Cynewulf’s Christ (Open Library)
openlibrary.org

Cynewulf is also a writer of religious poetry in a Northumbrian dialect. Ironically, Cynewulf inserts his name into his poems in both Runie and Roman cryptograms. Helena chooses as its theme the finding of the true cross and “Krist.”  The Ascension tells of the disciples meeting Christ at Bethany. The poet speaks of the freewill of man to choose Heaven or Hell. Doomsday is the longest and most powerful section of The Christ. It deals with the destruction of the last judgment. The horror of the end of time is countered by God’s gift of eternal life to mankind. 

Posted in Anglo-Saxons, British history, Living in the Regency, real life tales | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments