by Roseanna White | May 18, 2011 | Remember When Wednesdays, Uncategorized
Last week I told everyone how I created my own invisible ink from household items like lemon juice, honey water, etc. A super-fun experiment, I gotta say. Of course, then I learned that those heat-developed inks were seldom used by the 18th century because they were so easy to develop. Anyone could just hold any letter to a flame and see if a message appeared. I can still use it in my story for not-crucial correspondence, but the actual letters of espionage to General Washington during the war used something very different.
Something called “the sympathetic stain.” Historians still don’t know exactly what it was, though they have a pretty good guess, based on the clues left to us as to where they had to procure the ingredients. Interestingly, it was John Jay and his brother who came up with this stain–and the first time it was used was when said brother wrote a letter of warning from England when that nation was gearing up for war.
The awesome thing about this stain is that is can be developed only by a very particular reagent, which only the folks corresponding regularly had in their possession. You couldn’t just stumble upon it. And because of that, letters written in the stain were very secure.
And the stain was very precious. So precious, in fact, that a few of the folks in possession of it were afraid of running out and so did not use it on some key correspondence–and got wrist-slapped by Washington for it, LOL.
The stain was nonetheless difficult to use. You needed high quality paper for it to work well on, and just the right amount of reagent to develop it. Too much would wash away the ink, too little just wouldn’t make it reveal. Apparently they took to using a paint brush to apply it.
The code name for this stain was “medicine,” and the Jays shipped it to Washington in a medical supply box. Had anyone intercepted it, it would have looked like any other vial of liquid medication.
But it wasn’t. It was the agent that allowed key information to pass to the Patriot army. Information that may have saved us from becoming British colonists again.
Hooray for the Sympathetic Stain! =)
by Roseanna White | May 17, 2011 | Uncategorized
Would you believe I haven’t read any fiction in the last week-plus? Primarily because I’ve spent my free time doing research for a story idea. So I figure, eh, might as well talk to you about that! =)
I’ll confess it from the start–I don’t read much non-fiction. Why? Because I read so much of it during college that I just got burned out on it. But apparently it’s now been long enough since then (where did that time go, anyway?) that I can read it again without feeling at all put out about it. Handy, since in looking up info about the subject of my newest idea, I came across a very interesting-sounding book that I knew would be helpful: Washington’s Spies by Alexander Rose.
My Library didn’t have this one, but thanks to the wonders of ILL, they had it for me in three days, and I cracked it open with genuine enthusiasm. I haven’t read any non-fiction on the Revolutionary War since college (and then it was more political treatises of the era, not history of the war), so I found this to be a wonderful refresher on the history in general. Better still, it focused entirely on the use of espionage in the war, by both sides. And really, what could be more fun than that? 😉
Rose doesn’t follow a strict chronology in this–he follows stories, usually about the particular people, and uses those to take him from point to point. Which means you know exactly where to flip back to if you need to remind yourself about where someone was born, or who his father was, but locating a date for a particular action of his requires the help of the index.
The writing of this book was never dry and at times downright witty. I actually chuckled at several places. And at several others I found it necessary to interrupt my reading to share a particularly interesting factoid with my hubby. Mr. Rose found many ways to integrate little-known facts from the day that only had the smallest thing to do with the main subject; and he integrated them in such a way that you knew without doubt he had submersed himself fully in this era as he wrote the book. Something I, as I writer, certainly appreciate.
I did find a few typos in the dates given, like saying something happened in 1778 that happened in 1780. Typos, which I understand, but which confused me endlessly, LOL.
Overall, if you’re a history buff who loves reading about lesser-known portions of well-loved times, this is a fabulous book. It presents a fair, honest picture of what life was like from 1776-1784, not embellished by glamorous ideas or romance.
But no worries–I plan to embellish with plenty of romance when I write a novel set in the time. 😉
by Roseanna White | May 12, 2011 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
As I’m doing some basic research for a new story idea, I wanted to figure out what my heroine would call the Lord. She comes from a congregationalist, rather Puritan background, so I started by looking up Puritan prayers. And wow, am I glad I did.
These prayers are so beautiful that I copied them into a document and broke them into lines and stanzas as if they were poetry. Reading through them like this . . . it really showcases the perfection of faith, how it combines our weakness with His strength. I was so very blessed by these yesterday that I wanted to share these two with you today.
Also, the Colonial Quill is sharing first lines of stories today, if you want to check it out!
The Deeps
Lord Jesus, give me a deeper repentance,
a horror of sin, a dread of its approach.
Help me chastely to flee it
and jealously to resolve that my heart shall be Thine alone.
Give me a deeper trust, that I may lose myself
to find myself in Thee,
the ground of my rest, the spring of my being.
Give me a deeper knowledge of Thyself
as saviour, master, lord, and king.
Give me deeper power in private prayer,
more sweetness in Thy Word,
more steadfast grip on its truth.
Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action,
and let me not seek moral virtue apart from Thee.
Plough deep in me, great Lord, heavenly husbandman,
that my being may be a tilled field,
the roots of grace spreading far and wide,
until Thou alone art seen in me,
Thy beauty golden like summer harvest,
Thy fruitfulness as autumn plenty.
I have no master but Thee, no law but Thy will,
no delight but Thyself, no wealth but that Thou givest,
no good but that Thou blessest, no peace but that Thou bestowest.
I am nothing but that Thou makest me.
I have nothing but that I receive from Thee.
I can be nothing but that grace adorns me.
Quarry me deep, dear Lord, and then fill me
to overflowing with living water.
Devotion
God of my end, it is my greatest, noblest pleasure
to be acquainted with Thee
and with my rational, immortal soul;
it is sweet and entertaining to look into my being
when all my powers and passions
are united and engaged in pursuit of Thee,
when my soul longs and passionately breathes
after conformity to Thee and the full enjoyment of Thee;
no hours pass away with so much pleasure
as those spent in communion with Thee
and with my heart.
O how desirable, how profitable to the Christian life
is a spirit of holy watchfulness and godly jealousy over myself
when my soul is afraid of nothing
except grieving and offending Thee,
the blessed God, my Father and friend,
whom I then love and long to please,
rather than be happy in myself!
Knowing, as I do, that this is the pious temper,
worthy of the highest ambition,
and closest pursuit of intelligent creatures and holy Christians,
may my Joy derive from glorifying and delighting Thee.
I long to fill all my time for Thee,
whether at home or in the way;
to place all my concerns in Thy hands;
to be entirely at Thy disposal,
having no will or interest of my own.
Help me to live to Thee for ever,
to make Thee my last and only end,
so that I may never more in one instance
love my sinful self.
by Roseanna White | May 11, 2011 | Remember When Wednesdays, Uncategorized
I’m in the process of doing research for a historical spy novel. And boy is it fun! This being before the age of super spy gadgets, most espionage was conducted through secret messages. And some of those secret messages were written in invisible ink. Ooo, fun!
I did some basic searching on what they used for this stuff, how it worked, etc. First I found simple instructions on household items you could use to make invisible ink. Though my source didn’t bother telling me what they looked like, what the ratio of substance to water should be, which developed best, etc.
Well, I decided, why not figure it out for myself?
Can you see me rubbing my hands together in delight? I can’t remember the last time I did an impromptu science experiment that had nothing to do with my daughter’s home school. I may have been heard cackling as I got out a piece of paper, a paintbrush, and then pulled out my spy tools.
Vinegar.
Lemon Juice.
Honey.
Sugar
Saliva (the least-gross of the recommended bodily fluids)
And of course, water.
Nothing gave me ratios, but I knew that the whole point was to dilute the substance so that it would not dry visibly on the paper, but only appear when heat is applied. So I mixed each substance with water (totally guessing on the recipe) and wrote a line with each, just the name of which substance I was using at the time.
Imagine me fidgeting while it all dried, and wondering which would make the paper wave the least. Though that was more a matter of silly me using too much, I think . . .
Finally we were dry. Because I’m just so silly, I got out my pot of ink, my glass stylus (no quill right now, though I used to have one) and wrote a “real” message too. Time to develop!
These are all heat-revealed, and one resource recommended a light bulb, an oven, or an iron. But come on–who had those on a battlefield (Or in this era in general, if we’re talking light bulbs)? I turned on my gas stove (no matches handy for a candle, LOL) and held out the paper.
Nothing.
I help it closer, just briefly. Waved it over the flame.
Nothing.
Grrrrrrrrr. I know this works. So swallowing my fear of burning the whole house down for a stupid experiment for a novel, I take the paper closer. I can smell the paper heating. I watch it begin to discolor above the flame. And there! Words appear.
“Lemon juice dilute.”
Yay! We have a winner! Not to give up on the others so easily, I moved the paper and watched “Sugar water” appear next. Along with a smoky brown spot that made me think any amateur spies had better practice this a few times to learn how to best develop without burning the message whole. 😉 Also learned that these must not have been the inks used in National Treasure, because they sure don’t disappear again, LOL.
Later that night I had my chemistry-inclined hubby help me figure out some of the more complicated inks, but I gotta say, this impromptu experiment was a ton of fun!
Happy researching to you all! 😉
by Roseanna White | May 10, 2011 | Uncategorized
Rose has all she needs on her farm outside Baltimore. Her pigs, her cows, her chickens . . . and an escape from the rest of the world. She has lost so much, she fears so much–but surely here she is safe.
Alexander Reed knows well that his only chance at redemption in the eyes of his family lies with finding glory in the British navy. But when a dastardly fellow officer makes to attack yet another American girl on yet another farm, solely because she is American, decency demands that Alex take action. Unfortunately, he gets injured for his trouble.
Rose has no idea what to do when she’s faced with being saved by a now-hurt British soldier. On the one hand, he saved her life. But on the other, he’s British? What’s she to do with this handsome officer? If she helps him, she could be hanged for treason. But if she doesn’t, what kind of person would she be?
Surrounded by war and prejudice on both sides of the battle, threatened with the attention of a distasteful suitor who will use anything in his power to make Rose–and her farm–his, and faced with the ultimate decisions of faith and loyalty, Rose and Alex must find their own course in a time of treachery . . . before all they love is destroyed.
Can I just say I LOVED this book? I loved this book! It was heart-thudding romance, it was excitement in war, it had the star-crossed lovers vibe, and it was, as MaryLu’s books always are, a test of faith that shows us the power of our prayers when all is at its worse.
I not only enjoyed this awesome historical novel, I also learned some incredibly interesting facts about the War of 1812 that I hadn’t known, especially concerning the burning of Washington, D.C. Given the setting and characters, this one wasn’t quite as adventurous as the first book in the series, but it was a page-turning read that I had serious trouble putting down.
Lovers of historical romance won’t want to miss this one!
*This book was provided to me free of charge
by Roseanna White | May 6, 2011 | Uncategorized
Today we’re bringing you a different kind of book, and talking with its author about it. Ready for a scare? 😉 Give a big, hearty welcome to Thomas Smith, and leave a comment with email address below for a chance to win his Christian horror novel,
Something Stirs. (Which isn’t about coffee, by the way.)
~*~
About Something Stirs
Some houses are only haunted … this one is worse.
Ben Chalmers is a successful novelist. His wife, Rachel, is a fledgling artist with a promising career, and their daughter Stacy is the
Joy of their life. His novels have made enough money for him to provide a dream home for his family. But there is a force at work in their lives. A dark, chilling, ruthless force that has become part of the very fabric of their new home.
A malevolent entity becomes trapped in the wood and stone of the house and it will do whatever it takes, to find a way to complete its bloody transference to our world.
Local Sheriff, Elizabeth Cantrell, and former pastor-turned-cabinetmaker, Jim Perry are drawn into the family’s life as the entity manipulates the house with devastating results. And it won’t stop until it gets what it wants. Even if it costs them their faith, their sanity, and their lives.
~*~
About Thomas
Thomas is award winning writer, newspaper reporter, TV news producer, playwright and essayist. He writes The Writing Life column for The Christian Communicator magazine and was named the American Christian Writers Association Writer of the Year in 2004, 2005, and again in 2006. He is a regular faculty member at American Christian Writers Association conferences and also teaches at other writers’ conferences. He was on the writing team (with Rick Warren Rob Bell, Chuck Colson, Lee Strobel, and Ravi Zacharias) responsible for Zondervan’s New Men’s Devotional Bible.
~*~
What’s your latest book?
My novel, Something Stirs, is scheduled to be released early this summer from Sonfire Media. It’s a Christian horror novel. I started out calling it supernatural suspense, but I have to be honest … it is what it is.
Can’t say as I’ve read many Christian horrors (and only a few supernatural thrillers), but I’m in favor of them! What was the hardest part to write?
Tippy’s death was the hardest to write. I can’t say much more than that without giving away an event that really starts things rolling, but that was one tough scene to write. In fact, I had to go back and tweak it again in the second round of edits and it was just as hard the second time. Poor Tippy.
Is there a theme to this book?
There are actually multiple themes. One has to do with how God can heal our brokenness and restore us to what He originally intended if we open ourselves up to Him. Another theme is less spiritual but just as valid. Our choices carry consequences.
They do, at that. What’s your favorite genre to write? To read?
I really like writing what is finally being called Christian horror. Some folks still call it supernatural suspense, but regardless of what you call it, I like the challenge of making people suspend their disbelief long enough to get caught up in the story to the point they flinch when the characters flinch.
As far as reading, I real a wide range of stuff. Horror, suspense, biographies, cowboy poetry, theology and just about anything dealing with Christmas.
Nice. What are you reading right now—and what do you want to read next?
Currently I’m reading Dean Koontz’s
What the Night Knows. After I finish that one I am going to read
The Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume 1.
Gotta love Samuel Clemens. =) Other than the Bible, what’s your favorite of all the books you’ve ever read?
When the Water Smokes by Bob Simpson
What’s one of the oddest or most interesting things someone has ever said about you?
I was introduced at a writer’s conference once with this line: “He’s the only writer you’ll ever meet who worked on projects with Stephen King and Rev. Rick Warren at the same time.”
LOL. That’s quite a badge of honor! What would your dream office look like—and what does your REAL writing environment look like?
This is pretty much my dream office. My wife has her computer and reference books set up on one end and I work from a desk my father gave me on the other end of the office. I am surrounded by reference books, other assorted books, geodes (no special reason other than I think they are neat), various toys, jars of gems we have mined on various gem mining trips, a nativity scene, a poster signed by astronaut Alan Bean, a Batman poster, lots of photos from various trips to the Caribbean and Alaska, a printer/fax/copier, laser printer, a piece of the Berlin Wall, and a singing monkey that my mother gave me for Christmas this past year. There is also a picture of me shaking hands with Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden. Lunch with him was my wife’s anniversary gift to me a few years back
Sounds cool! Is there any one thing or reference you keep handy when writing? Anything you kept around for this particular book?
I always have a copy of Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers’ Market Guide and The Writer’s Digest Writer’s Market Guide (the online portion is one of the main tabs on my browser) on hand.
Aside from writing, what takes up most of your time?
Spending time with my family. Particularly, traveling with my wife. She has the opportunity to speak all over the country on the subject of treating inpatient Diabetes, and I often get to go with her. But writing takes up the biggest part of my time. I also play lead guitar with our church praise band.
If someone were to give you $5,000 to spend on anything you wanted, what would you buy? (No saving or gifts to charities allowed!)
A Gallagher acoustic guitar and a cruise through the Panama Canal (my wife really wants to go there).
Any funny family stories about living with a writer?
A couple of years ago my wife and I took my parents to Myrtle Beach, SC to see a couple of Christmas shows and do some Christmas shopping. At one point we went into a bookstore in the mall and I saw their A Cup of Comfort for Christmas display. It was placed prominently in the store, and since I was one of the contributors, I asked to see the manager as we were checking out. She showed up, looking a little apprehensive.
“Is there a problem?” she asked, still apprehensive.
I told her there was no problem. Quite the contrary. Their display was so nice I wanted to thank them for the placement because I was one of the contributors and it was really nice to see such a well done display.
She asked which story I wrote, and when I told her, she said, “You won’t believe this, but I just cried when I read that. Do you still have the shirt?” At that point I knew she really had read the story.
Before I could respond, she asked if I would be willing to sign about a dozen copies. Would that be an imposition?
I told her it would be my pleasure. She led me to a chair behind the counter, asked my mother if she would like some coffee, got her a chair and brought the books over. Then she told the people in line that I was there and would be doing an impromptu book signing.
When we left about 20 minutes later, my mother stopped about thirty feet from the store, took me by the elbow and said, “That was really something. Wow.” And before we got to the car she was on her cell phone telling one of her sisters, “I’ll bet you didn’t know your nephew was a celebrity.”
Mama, if you’re seeing this, I didn’t know it either.
What are you writing right now?
The answer to this question.
LOL. Is there another author who has greatly influenced your writing?
Charles L. Grant. Charlie was my literary hero when I was about 15. I always thought it would be a real thrill just to have him autograph a book. Ten years later, through a really odd set of circumstances, I met him, got to know him, and over the years he became my mentor and one of my dearest friends. He had a way with language that bordered on the poetic.
He wrote over 100 books, 200 short stories, edited a number of award winning anthologies (including the Shadows series), and won the Nebula Awards for “A Crowd of Shadows” and “A Glow of Candles, a Unicorn’s Eye.” He also received 3 World Fantasy Awards, the British Fantasy Society’s Special Award for life achievement, Horror Writers Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the World Horror Convention’s Grandmaster Award.
Before he died (September of 2006), I was asked to write a tribute for a specialty anthology titled, Quietly Now: A Tribute to Charles L. Grant. It featured writers like Stephen King, Peter Straub, Craig Shaw Gardner, Joe R. Lansdale, and other famous-type folks. In a way I felt things had come full circle. The student was able to give a little something back to the teacher.
That’s so touching–and cool! What an honor to be included in a project like that.
~*~
Thanks so much for visiting, Thomas, and giving the readers a little something out of the ordinary! Readers, check out Thomas online at the following:
Something Stirs will be available (or available for ordering) in your local book store. Or, once the book’s site goes live, additional purchasing links will be on
www.SomethingStirs.com
Void where prohibited. Entry into the contest is considered verification of eligibility based on your local laws. Chance of winning depends on number of entries. Contest ends 6/10/11. Winner will have two weeks to claim prize.
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. 