History’s Story
17th – 19th Century Articles
Intelligence Methods Used by the Culper Ring – Part 1: Invisible Inks
America’s first spy organization, the Culper Ring, couldn’t have been as successful as they were during the American Revolution without some cutting-edge (for the time) tricks of the trade. They used ciphers and codes, invisible inks, signals, and drop locations for...
What Is the Culper Ring?
Ever wonder about the origins of organized intelligence operations? In America, until the Revolutionary War, there simply was no organized intelligence. There were military scouts and there were occasionally spies, but not under a central system. Then came the Culper...
John Mucknell, Pirate Admiral
Once there lived, and once there was a man born and raised a Cockney who, like so many others, took to the sea. John Mucknell was in many ways what we think of as a stereotypical sailor—he drank too much, cursed too much, and when he was in his cups, he was mean. But...

20th Century Articles
Piper’s Hole
If there’s anything more beautiful than a cave carved from a cliff by the sea, I’m not sure I’ve seen it. There’s just something breathtaking about that visual reminder of the power of the waves, isn’t there? Words like erosion and corrosion just don’t capture the...
A Tour of the Abbey Gardens
The Abbey Gardens In “Welcome to the Isles of Scilly,” I gave you an overview of this beautiful island chain and introduced you to some of the main places my heroine, Libby, visits in The Nature of a Lady, including a quick peek of the Abbey Gardens, with a promise of...
Welcome to the Isles of Scilly
It should come as no surprise that I'm excited about The Nature of a Lady, the first book in the Secrets of the Isles series. But I have to say, one of the things I love most about this series is the setting: the Isles of Scilly (pronounced "Silly"). And so, I...

Articles on the Great War
The Codebreakers of Room 40
North American has only one native plant with caffeine: yaupon. And thanks to its stimulants and antioxidants, it’s been loved for centuries!
Remember When . . . The Schools Were at War Too
Well, that time of year has come again. My family has officially started the 2018-19 school year. Part of me hates the loss of free time...and part of me is excited about all those awesome books we get to read together this year! For those of you who have been reading...
Remember When . . . The War Brought Darkness
War changes things. We all know that, but most of today haven't lived through a "total war" that really impacts everyone at home, whether we or our family are directly involved in the fighting or not. Most people are very aware of how WWII did this...but most of us...

Articles on World War 2
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Articles on Holiday History
Remember When . . .Christmas Was in the Air?
Since I did a bit of a round-up in this week's Word of the Week post, I thought I'd continue that trend today. 😀 Here you'll find a list of all my past Christmas-themed posts throughout the years (or all the ones my search turned up, anyway, LOL). Have you missed one?...
Remember When . . . the Date of Christmas Was Chosen?
I don't know how many times I've heard over the years that Constantine is the one who decided Christmas would be celebrated on December 25, because it was already a pagan holiday, and this would make it easier on his people to convert to Christianity. I pretty much...
Remember When . . . Christmas Traditions
I've blogged many times over the years about different Christmas traditions throughout history, and how we apply it to our lives. Last year, I reflected on the real spirit of Christmas. And also on who St. Nicholas really was. As I was writing Love Finds You in...

Articles on the Ancient World
Remember When . . . Jesus Celebrated the Passover?
Tomorrow is the day many churches celebrate as Maundy Thursday--the Passover Thursday, the day Jesus shared the Last Supper with His disciples. Does your church celebrate this day with a meal? Growing up in a United Methodist Church, we would have a Maundy Thursday...
Remember When . . . the Date of Christmas Was Chosen?
I don't know how many times I've heard over the years that Constantine is the one who decided Christmas would be celebrated on December 25, because it was already a pagan holiday, and this would make it easier on his people to convert to Christianity. I pretty much...
Remember When . . . Children Were Expendable?
As a promised, a bit more about Giver of Wonders today. 😉 At the start of the story, my heroine Cyprus is twelve years old. In the very first scene, she experiences an accident that leaves her paralyzed--and the thoughts and fears are quick to bombard her. Her...