Announcements

10 Year Anniverary & New Releases Winners: Carrie Fancett Pagels' Butterfly Cottage - Melanie B, Dogwood Plantation - Patty H R, Janet Grunst's winner is Connie S., Denise Weimer's Winner is Kay M., Naomi Musch's winner is Chappy Debbie, Angela Couch - Kathleen Maher, Pegg Thomas Beverly D. M. & Gracie Y., Christy Distler - Kailey B., Shannon McNear - Marilyn R.

Monday, June 30, 2014

Guest Post Interview with Allison Pataki

Author Allison Pataki
Colonial Quills welcomes debut author Allison Pataki as guest. Allison has a new colonial release out, The Traitor’s Wife. Thank you to CQ member, Pat Iacuzzi, who suggested Allison visit with us.

Allison, what got you interested in the colonial time period?
Growing up in the Hudson River Valley, right across the Hudson from West Point definitely played a huge part. Our area was referred to as “the cockpit of the American Revolution,” and George Washington dubbed West Point “the key to the continent,” so my hometown area is steeped in the history of the period. You can’t drive more than half a mile in any given direction without passing a historical marker. And, being the history nerds that we are in my family, we always stopped to read them.

What inspired your latest colonial work?
A couple of years ago my mother and I were walking our dogs near our home near West Point. We paused to read a historical marker, which described “Arnold’s Flight,” on the walking trail we hiked. The marker described the three main characters of Benedict Arnold’s conspiracy to sell West Point: Benedict Arnold, John André, and Peggy Shippen Arnold.
I was intrigued. I knew Benedict Arnold, the notorious American turncoat, and that he had lived right near where I had grown up. Funnily enough – I played in Benedict Arnold’s backyard as a child! I also knew John André, the British spy with whom Arnold had conspired. His was the second biography on this historical marker.
What I had not known, however, was whose face belonged to the portrait of the beautiful young woman beside Benedict Arnold.  Her name was Peggy Shippen Arnold. I read on, learning from this historical marker about how Peggy was courted first by John André before she married the patriotic officer, Benedict Arnold. Peggy was a beautiful young society belle, a favorite of George Washington’s. And, most surprisingly of all, Peggy was a loyalist to the British cause.
What business did Peggy have liaising first with the British spy John André and then marrying Benedict Arnold who, at that time, was a trusted colonial hero? Reading this, I thought to myself: how do I not know this twist in the plot? It seemed like pretty juicy stuff!
As I continued my walk, I could not stop thinking about Peggy Shippen Arnold. What must her life have been like? What role, if any, must she have played in this most infamous act of treason? I asked myself, was Peggy a central figure in orchestrating the plot? If so, why don’t we know more about her?
I could not wait to dig into the history to uncover these answers. Once I began the research, and continued to uncover the salacious details of the whole plot, the idea for the novel took off.

Do you have a favorite colonial place you like to visit and why?
There are so many, I don’t know how to pick one. Well, any of the forts and historic homes in the Hudson Highlands would be up there. West Point does a great job of honoring and preserving its history. Philadelphia does too. I love walking around the old neighborhoods of that city.
I love visiting Mount Vernon and trying to imagine that George Washington will stride through the front door at any minute. And I absolutely love Colonial Williamsburg. I first went there at about age 10 and I was enthralled. History really comes to life there, and if you’re a young kid with an over-active imagination, it doesn’t take much to imagine yourself slipping back in time.

If you care to say, you can tell readers where you live and what colonial places you have in your state or your home state if different.
I live in Chicago currently, so our history picks up a little bit later than the eastern seaboard states in terms of when Illinois joined the Union. But the history of the Prairie State is equally fascinating. You can still see some of the homes and places where Abraham Lincoln frequented. And Chicago is chock-full of history. One period that is fun to study from Chicago history is the World’s Fair of 1894. That was when Chicago really came into its own as a world-class city.

Do you have a favorite colonial recipe you enjoy and would like to share with readers?
I have to go with an old favorite: Shepherd’s Pie. Such comfort food. I got this recipe from Colonial Williamsburg.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pounds lean, organic, hormone-free ground beef
1/2 pound turnips, peeled and diced
1/2 pound carrots, peeled and diced
3 celery stalks. trimmed and sliced
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups vegetable stock or water
1/3 cup tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 pounds white or red boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 egg
1 egg yolk
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
-Melt butter in large pan. Add meat and brown on all sides. Remove meat and set it to the side.
-Add turnips, carrots, celery and onion to pan, and saute for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the onions are translucent. Return the meat to the pan along with the thyme, and sprinkle the flour over the beef and vegetables.
-Cook over low heat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, to cook the flour.
-Add the cold stock or water, raise the heat to medium high, and bring to a boil. Stir in the tomato paste, and season with salt and pepper. Cook the beef mixture covered over low heat for 40 to 55 minutes, or until meat is tender.
-Place the potatoes in salted cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, and then mash the potatoes, adding in the butter, egg, yolk, salt and pepper.
-Place the meat into large baking dish or individual dishes, and spread potato mixture on top. Cook in oven until potatoes are golden brown. 

The Traitor’s Wife Book Synopsis:
A riveting historical novel about Peggy Shippen Arnold, the cunning wife of Benedict Arnold and mastermind behind America’s most infamous act of treason . . . 

Everyone knows Benedict Arnold—the Revolutionary War general who betrayed America and fled to the British—as history’s most notorious turncoat. Many know Arnold’s co-conspirator, Major John André, who was apprehended with Arnold’s documents in his boots and hanged at the orders of General George Washington. But few know of the integral third character in the plot: a charming young woman who not only contributed to the betrayal but orchestrated it.

Socialite Peggy Shippen is half Benedict Arnold’s age when she seduces the war hero during his stint as military commander of Philadelphia. Blinded by his young bride’s beauty and wit, Arnold does not realize that she harbors a secret: loyalty to the British. Nor does he know that she hides a past romance with the handsome British spy John André. Peggy watches as her husband, crippled from battle wounds and in debt from years of service to the colonies, grows ever more disillusioned with his hero, Washington, and the American cause. Together with her former love and her disaffected husband, Peggy hatches the plot to deliver West Point to the British and, in exchange, win fame and fortune for herself and Arnold.

Told from the perspective of Peggy’s maid, whose faith in the new nation inspires her to intervene in her mistress’s affairs even when it could cost her everything, The Traitor’s Wifebrings these infamous figures to life, illuminating the sordid details and the love triangle that nearly destroyed the American fight for freedom.

Author Bio:
Allison Pataki is the author of the New York Times bestselling historical novel, The Traitor’s Wife. She graduated Cum Laude from Yale University with a major in English and spent several years writing for TV and online news outlets. The daughter of former New York State Governor George E. Pataki, Allison is currently working on her second novel, The Accidental Empress, a historical fiction inspired by the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, to be published in February 2015.  To learn more and connect with Allison visit AllisonPataki.com. 


Connect with Allison Pataki:



Friday, June 27, 2014

Tea Party for Rebecca DeMarino, Lisa Norato, MaryLu Tyndall and Jennifer Hudson Taylor


Thank you for joining us for a summertime tea party at historic Gurnet Light along the shores of Duxbury Beach.


 

Gurnet Light is located in Plymouth, but is accessible only by passing through the Town of Duxbury, Massachusetts. The first lighthouse at Gurnet Point was erected in 1768. When light keeper, John Thomas, went off to fight in the Revolutionary War in 1776, his wife Hannah took over his duties as keeper.

Our door is open. Welcome!  Careful on the steps leading inside, ladies. We don't want you tripping over the hem of your lovely gowns. The table has been set, tea is steeping, lemonade is chilling, and there's fresh fruit and savory scones.  So have a seat and enjoy a relaxing view of the east coast. 

There will be book giveaways and other delightful prizes, so please partake of some refreshment and enjoy while we introduce you to the authors whose latest novels we share with you today.


Chocolate peanut butter cake
Today we celebrate four new releases! Rebecca DeMarino's debut, A Place In His Heart; the long-awaited third book of MaryLu Tyndall's Escape to Paradise series, Abandoned Memories; Jennifer Hudson Taylor's For Love or Country: Book 2 of The MacGregor Legacy; and Lisa Norato's, The Promise Keeper, a Sea Heroes of Duxbury novel.


Ahh, the gentle call of the sea...

If you have worn a special gown for the occasion, please describe it for us.

Lisa Norato, author of The Promise Keeper, is wearing a floral, printed cotton of the federal era with puffed upper sleeves, the same gown as worn by her heroine, Iris Moon, on the cover of her novel.

Duxbury, Massachusetts, 1825
Danger reunites a sea captain's daughter with her childhood protector-who is now a reclusive lighthouse keeper on an island across the bay.

THE PROMISE KEEPER by Lisa Norato

The new keeper has manned Pilgrim Light for a year now, and though her father recruited him for the post, Iris Moon has never seen the fellow nor will anyone discuss him. Rumors circulate he was once a pirate and had been imprisoned. Lured by the secrecy, Iris rows out to the light to meet the solitary keeper. He's a curmudgeon who remains as mysterious as ever, until confusing dreams haunt her, causing Iris to suspect they share a past connection.

Jonathan Mayne sailed with Captain Moon's family as a young cabin boy during the earliest years of Iris's life. A grown woman, Iris holds no memory for her childhood friend, who now guards the bay from a lonely lighthouse tower. When a shipwreck survivor bent on revenge washes up on the shores of the Moon family mansion, will Johnny be able to protect Iris from her dead mother's secret while keeping a promise to her father never to expose it?
 

GIVEAWAYS: Lisa will be giving away a copy of The Promise Keeper (winner's choice of a signed paperback or ebook--foreign addresses available for ebook only). Lisa is also giving away a pair of (pierced) monarch butterfly crystal earrings by Rhode Island-based jeweler Kirk's Folly.






From Massachusetts all the way to Brazil, MaryLu Tyndall's third book in her Escape to Paradise series is an adventure not to be missed!  The civil war has ended and a group of disgruntled Southerners have fled the Reconstruction and headed for Brazil in the hopes of recreating their Southern Utopia (minus the slavery)  Their journey is recorded in Forsaken Dreams, book 1. The settling of their colony outside Rio de Janeiro is the topic of Elusive Hope, book 2, and now the real reason God lured them to Brazil is finally revealed in Abandoned Memories, book 3!  All three stories are full of adventure and romance in an exotic location.


It is 1866 and the fledgling Confederate colony of New Hope is Angeline Moore’s last chance at a normal life. Running from the law, she longs to make a fresh start in this new Southern Utopia. But a series of strange disasters threaten to destroy everything the colonists have worked for, and strange visions threaten to reveal a past Angeline is desperate to hide.



James Callaway failed at both doctoring and preaching, but he hopes that his move to Brazil will give him another chance to become the spiritual leader he so desires. He longs to create a world free from the immorality that plagued every street corner back home and ruined his life. And he believes Angeline is just the sort of refined woman he needs to keep him on the right track.



But something is amiss in New Hope: haunting visions, the discovery of crypts beneath an ancient temple, and an archaic Hebrew book, set the colonists’ fears on edge. When one of their own is murdered, a series of disasters leads them to believe God has brought them to Brazil to defeat an evil that, if unleashed, could wreak havoc on the entire world.

If you haven't read the first two books in the series, no worries, The Ebook of Forsaken Dreams is FREE right now on Amazon and the Ebook for Elusive Hope is only 1.99!!!!  

Giveaways!  MaryLu will be giving away a signed copy of Abandoned Memories along with a Brazilian Nut Shea Body Butter!









A Place in His Heart by Rebecca DeMarino

She could cross an ocean, but could she ever win his heart?

Anglican Mary Langton longs to marry for love. Puritan Barnabas Horton still grieves the loss of his beloved wife, but he knows his two young sons need a mother. And yet these two very different people with very different expectations will take a leap of faith, wed, and then embark on a life-changing journey across the ocean to the Colonies. Along the way, each must learn to live in harmony, to wait on God, and to recognize true love where they least expect to find it.

This heartfelt tale of love and devotion is based on debut author Rebecca DeMarino's own ancestors, who came to Long Island in the mid-1600s to establish a life--and a legacy--in the New World.


Giveaway: Carrie is giving away a child's size mob cap from Colonial Williamsburg.

A courageous colonial spy. A daring British captain. Will they risk all to win at love?
At the height of the Revolutionary War, Tyra MacGregor is successful at thwarting the British Army with her colonial spy efforts. But her sleuthing ways come to a screeching halt when Captain Donahue "Hugh" Morgan puts her under house arrest.

Hugh is intrigued by this courageous spy the natives call "War Woman." She's more daring than most men and is intelligent in defending her convictions. Even more impressive to Hugh is the strength of Tyra's unshakeable faith in God.

When Tyra saves his life during an attack, Hugh vows to return the favor. Before he can intervene, however, she is caught by his superior officer and imprisoned. Soon Hugh's honor, faith, country, and love are all on the line. Can he risk it all to gain everything?
Book 2 of The MacGregor Legacy by Jennifer Hudson Taylor.

Giveaway! Jennifer will be giving away one copy of For Love or Country







Wednesday, June 25, 2014

The Battle of Eutaw Springs: last bloodbath of the Revolution

Eutaw monument
The monument reads: “This stone marks the field whereon was fought the Battle of Eutaw, Sept 8, 1781, between a force of the United States under Major General Nathanael Greene and a force of Great Britain under Colonel Stuart. Neither side was victorious, but the fight was beneficial to the American cause. Erected by Eutaw Chapter, DAR 1912.”

"Victory in Defeat" placard
Whether either side was victorious or not is up for discussion. The rule is generally, whoever is left holding the field, and both sides withdrew, then the Continentals returned the next day to occupy. It was, indeed, beneficial to the American cause, as the last major blow struck the British a month before the surrender at Yorktown.

A hot, hazy day on Lake Moultrie
The last portion of the American Revolution, referred to as the Southern Campaign, is little discussed in classroom history. This last significant battle has been virtually forgotten, and the battlefield now lies largely under water.

The Battle of Eutaw Springs frames the conclusion of my full-length historical, Loyalty’s Cadence, set in South Carolina in 1780-81, during the peak of the Southern Campaign. My darling husband indulged me on a research trip for our 25th anniversary two summers ago, so the day found us exploring the Eutaw Springs battlefield, during 97-degree midday heat. Such a lovely, peaceful place now, like many battlefields. The heat was perfect for evoking the day of the actual battle, which being early September in inland South Carolina likely rivaled our July weather.

layout of battle lines

The key players on the American side include General Nathanael Greene (who stepped up to the plate after Gates was routed at Camden a year before), Henry "Lighthorse Harry" Lee (father to Robert E. Lee), and William Washington (nephew of George Washington). The players on the British side include Stewart and Majoribanks (pronounced "Marshbanks" according to some sources--sounds like a British thing to do, yes? everybody say "Wer-ster-sherrr" with me ...). The really big names are absent--General Cornwallis and Banastre Tarleton are away up north, still recovering from the terrible starvation march of early 1781. They're about to be beseiged at Yorktown. Lord Rawdon, who Cornwallis left in charge after Camden, has retreated to the Lowcountry because of bad health. Since Rawdon abandoned Camden in May, and then Ninety-Six in June, General Greene has been stalking the British and Loyalist flanks, harrying them, cutting off supply lines, driving as much loyalist/British influence as he can out of the backcountry, toward Charleston.

participating forces
As September 8, 1781, dawned, the British knew Greene was out there, but they didn't know how close. (A little like what happened at Camden, in that respect.) Greene had camped just a few miles from the current British outpost, a plantation located on Eutaw Creek, not far from the British supply depot at Biggin Creek in Moncks Corner. Greene's force went on the march at 4 AM. When an unsuspecting foraging party happened upon the front lines, the first shots were fired, alerting the British camp.

how the tide of battle shifted
They leaped into action, in some cases even leaving breakfast on the fire. The placards show the original lines as the British formed up to meet Greene, then fell back, taking shelter in the house, gardens, and the scrub oak thickets nearby. As Greene's men overran the British camp, they fell upon the spoils--including the stores of rum that the British had missed in their frantic attempt before fleeing to dispose of their supplies. Thirst, fueled by sudden intoxication, drove Greene's men to greater fury. But unable to sustain the pace, and held off from reaching fresh water by the pockets of hidden British and loyalists, they eventually fell back.

It was a long battle, at least three hours, probably closer to four. Once Greene's men withdrew, the British and loyalists crawled from their hiding places. Stewart returned briefly to assess the damage, then made an official retreat, the down the road toward Charleston. Dead and wounded were left behind, since it was an accepted courtesy that whatever force eventually held a field would tend the casualties from both sides--and Stewart had lost about a third of his force. Eyewitnesses state that the field was such a mess, blood pooled ankle-deep in some places.

Greene's men found a pond fifteen miles up the road in which to slake their thirst. After reorganizing, they'd return to the field and claim final "victory," despite the wounding and capture of William Washington. Stewart of the British side also sustained wounds, but the gravest was that of Major Majoribanks, who was left to be cared for at the Ravenel home on the way to Charleston, but died six weeks later.

Costly it was on both sides, the battle was the final nail in the coffin of the British, before Yorktown.

As I walked the grounds that hot July day, a breeze from the water stirred the trees--just a breath, here and there. I looked up the road and thought of the British retreating ... peered out over the fingerlet of Lake Moultrie, which swallowed Eutaw Creek years ago, and and tried to envision the house and gardens.

Even on such a beautiful day, it wasn't hard to imagine puddles of spilled life, here and there.