Thanks to all of you who voted to name my character. As I explained in my blog, Help Me Name a Witch, I needed a fictional name for my character who was accused of witchcraft and is based on Rich’s ninth great-grandmother. The votes have been counted, and the winning name is: Angelique! I like the tension created with this name that sounds so like the Seraphim and Cherubim but is a person tortured by visions and poltergeist activity. As I research my book, I will keep in mind the difficult time Angelique experienced in a new land, far from Read More
Category: Hauntings
Help Me Name a Witch
I need your help. Last week on my blog, I talked about discovering that Rich’s ninth great-grandmother was accused of witchcraft in 1600s Quebec: In Search of a Witch. I am currently researching this ancestor for a novel I will write based on her life. I won’t use her real name, so I need to find a fictional name for her. Rich searched his genealogy notes for names of people listed in the church records in Quebec City in the 1600s, and we created a long list of first names and surnames from actual residents of the early French settlement. Read More
In Search of a Witch
Readers often ask where I get ideas for my books. The answer is as varied as the titles I’ve published. But here’s an insight into the inspiration for a book I have already begun to research. My husband Rich is a genealogy enthusiast, and during a family search, discovered that his 9th great-grandmother had been accused of witchcraft in Quebec, Canada. Oh, man, when Rich told me about her, his great, great… grandmother’s story started spinning in my brain. I wanted to write a book based on her life. In my preliminary research, I found his grandmother had come to Read More
Celebrating Spring Fever with a Sale and a Giveaway
Happy Spring! Even though it was snowing yesterday, the air feels different—warmer, moister, kinder. Maybe it’s all in my head. Spring Fever for sure. Well, it makes me want to celebrate, so I’m giving away a swag bag with a copy of Buried Secrets, and I’m putting The Cavanaugh House on sale. I hope you’ll join in my celebration. I’d love for you to read my book or win my swag bag. The Cavanaugh House – only 99 cents on Amazon from March 25-31. Click to order your copy now! “This house held secrets …” A broken heart. A haunted Read More
What Makes a Good Book Title?
Have you ever chosen a book based on its title? I’ve always wanted to title a book with some literary or religious allusion, like Brave New World by Aldous Huxley or The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Or even a musical or cultural reference like Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin. Titles, by the way, are not copyrighted, so I could have titled my book To Kill a Mockingbird. I also like titles that are a pull quote about a major theme from the book. So, my original title for The Last Crossing was All Read More