Victorian West

The Strange World of Spirit Photography

2011-11-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

Consumed by Consumption: TB and the Victorian West in Mercury’s Rise

2011-11-02T05:13:00.000-06:00

I am pleased to present a guest post by award-winning author Ann Parker. The fourth entry into her wonderful Silver Rush Mystery series, Mercury's Rise, has just been released. She and I , along with mystery novelist Beth Groundwater, will be appearing together on November 17th in Longmont, Colorado, in an event hosted by High Crimes Books.

Read the fascinating historical underpinnings of Ann's intriguing new novel:

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Ann Parker, posing with
a map old Leadville, CO

Although most of my Silver Rush historical mysteries are set high in the Rocky Mountains in 1880s Leadville, Colorado, my latest novel, Mercury’s Rise, has my protagonist Inez Stannert heading down to Manitou Springs to reunite with her young son and his guardian, Inez’s beloved sister.

As I nosed about, getting my bearings for this new location, I became intrigued with the “selling” of this area of the Victorian West—particularly of Manitou Springs—as a health resort and tourist destination in the mid- to late-1800s. Colorado Springs was hyped as “Little London,” while Manitou Springs was touted as the “Saratoga of the West.” Promotion and puffery was hot and heavy in nearly every period piece of documentation I read, from the backs of cabinet cards to books such as Tourist Guide to Colorado in 1879 by Frank Fossett and New Colorado and the Santa Fe Trail by A.A. Hayes, Jr., published 1880. The latter quotes one fellow who praises the healthful effects of the weather and mineral springs, adding, “I came here [Manitou] from Chicago on a mattress.”

Many of those coming to the area were, like the fellow from Chicago, “chasing the cure,” that is, looking for relief from tuberculosis, aka consumption, the white plague, the wasting disease, and phthisis. TB was the leading cause of death in the U.S. in the 19th century. From the beginning of the century thru 1870, it was the cause of 1 in 5 deaths, or 20 percent. You need only read about the scourge of the disease, before the discovery of antibiotics effected a true cure, to shudder and pray that “superbug” tuberculosis does not breach the current spectrum of antibiotics. As a science writer, I appreciate the power of metaphor and analogy to make a point, and found this passage in Transactions of the American Medical Association, 1880, written by Ephraim Cutter, M.D., to his colleagues, a real eye-opener:

Tuberculosis was endemic during the Victorian era and few families entirely escaped its shadow.
(La miseria, by Cristóbal Rojas, 1886.)

"It is estimated that one-quarter of the human deaths is caused directly or indirectly by what is commonly called consumption…I find I can write my name readily ten times in one minute…it would take 1 year, 213 days, and 16 hours of unintermitted writing to inscribe the names of this host, if on the average they consisted of thirteen letters. Suppose the vast company could be marshaled in rows four deep and two feet apart, this host would reach 770 miles in length, and occupy 10 days and 17 hours in passing a given point at a continuous rate of three miles an hour.”

It boggles the mind. It’s also hard to imagine that anyone living in the 1880s remained untouched by the effects of the disease. In fact, one of the reasons I decided to tackle the topic of tuberculosis comes from my own family’s history: my grandfather was 9 years old and his sister 13 when their mother and father died of tuberculosis in 1892. Thus orphaned, they were taken in and raised by an aunt and uncle. My grandfather’s story is not unique, and was part of what started me wondering about the effects of this dread disease on the families and individuals of the era. And truly, consumption was everywhere, and patients, families, and physicians were desperate to find a cure.

The 1880 Transactions are full of papers on tuberculosis treatments and research, including “The Salisbury Plans in Consumption—Production in Animals—Rationale and Treatment,” “Artificial Inflation as a Remedial Agent in Diseases of the Lungs,” and “Some Remarks on the Lesions of the Larynx in Phthisis.” The so-called causes and cures ranged far and wide. For instance, in 1881 in the textbook The Principles and Practice of Medicine, some of the causes put forth were hereditary disposition, unfavorable climate, sedentary indoor life, defective ventilation, deficiency of light and “depressing emotions.” Cure routines ranged from reliance on nourishing food, fresh air, and exercise, to the “slaughterhouse cure,” i.e., drinking the blood of freshly slaughtered oxen and cows (reported in Denver in 1879), to patent medicines and nostrums containing such ingredients as cod-liver oil, lime, arsenic, chloroform, the ever-present alcohol, and yes, mercury, even into the 1920s.

Another “cure” proposed by a well-respected physician in 1875 was—I kid you not—growing a beard. (You can find that particular medical treatment in Addison Porter Dutcher’s Pulmonary Tuberculosis: Its Pathology, Nature, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Prognosis, Causes, Hygiene, and Medical Treatment, “Chapter 30: A Plea for the Beards; Its Influence in Protecting the Throat and Lungs from Disease,” pg. 304.)

Is it no wonder, then, when Inez travels to Manitou for her family reunion she hears much about the wonders of the mineral waters and their miraculous health effects, and also finds out about some not-so-miraculous treatments being pedaled to the desperate and the dying? And, since Mercury’s Rise is a mystery, she discovers that not all the deaths are natural …

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Ann Parker is a California-based science/corporate writer by day and an historical mystery writer by night. Her award-winning Silver Rush series, featuring saloon-owner Inez Stannert, is set in 1880s Colorado, primarily in the silver-mining boomtown of Leadville. The latest in her series, MERCURY’S RISE, is out November 1. Learn more about Ann and her series at http://www.annparker.net

MERCURY’S RISE and the other Silver Rush mysteries are available from independent booksellers, amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and other places where mystery books are sold.

Leave a comment on this post to be eligible to win a Silver Rush mystery prize! Winner will be announced later this week. To see the rest of Ann’s blog tour, check out her Appearances page on her website.

What is a "Steampunk-Adjacent" Novel?

2011-10-26T14:24:00.000-06:00

I have been involved in the burgeoning Steampunk movement for the past three years and when friends find out I have a newly released book, they immediately ask if it is a Steampunk novel. I have to reluctantly sigh and say, “No, but I consider it to be ‘Steampunk adjacent.’”

Now some of you are undoubtedly asking right now, “What the heck is a Steampunk novel?” A shorthand answer is: Victorian science fiction. At least, that is the seminal idea that inspired the group and still sparks the fiction carrying this label. Another interesting and more descriptive phrase is a Neo-Victorian Retro-Futurist Techno-Fantasy, but that is a lot hyphens to cope with.

Buy it on Amazon

While Steampunk novels all tend to have a science fiction or fantasy element attached, I would like to make the case that the premise of SÉANCE IN SEPIA could and should be considered Steampunk, or at least a cousin of the genre, because its focus is spirit photography which represents, at its heart, the merging of two major obsessions of the Victorian era: technology and the occult.

With these two elements present in the novel, its sensibilities are definitely Steampunk in nature. However, since none of my novel is fantasy—all elements really happened or could have taken place—it probably does not qualify for the Steampunk moniker. Thus, I rely on calling my story “Steampunk adjacent.”

The novel begins in the present day with a woman named Flynn buying an old photograph at an estate sale. She takes it to an antique dealer who tells her he thinks it might be a “spirit photograph.” During the heyday of séances in the last half of the Nineteenth Century, some photographers claimed they could photograph the departed during a seance.

Flynn starts researching the history of the photo and learns that the three people pictured were involved in a notorious Chicago murder trial in 1875 that the press dubbed the “Free Love Murders.” A young architect was accused of murdering his wife and his best friend in a love triangle gone very wrong.

Real life feminist, Free Love advocate, and practicing spiritualist, Victoria Woodhull, soon gets involved in the case when the husband asks her to conduct a séance to discover how his wife and friend really died. Victoria quickly finds herself involved in a web of intrigue that will take much more than a séance to resolve and by the conclusion, both Victoria and Flynn find their views on love and life have changed.

If I have piqued your interest in Steampunk fiction, or better yet, Steampunk Adjacent fiction, you are invited to read the first two chapters of SÉANCE IN SEPIA found on my website: www.MichelleBlack.com

The Endless Adventure of Research for the Historical Novelist

2011-10-07T11:12:00.000-06:00

I have written six historical novels, the most recent of which, Seance in Sepia, will debut on October 21. They all have one thing in common for me: each required research that led me into new areas of life that I never saw coming.

Never Come Down

My first novel, Never Come Down, took place in an old mining boom town-turned-ghost town in the Colorado Rockies. Of course, I turned to history books and old newspapers, but the real joy for me was hiking with my two small sons to local ghost towns. We lived in Frisco, Colorado, at that time, elevation 9,100 feet, and we were surrounded by what was known as the Ten Mile Mining District. The mountains were pocked with abandoned mines and mining towns whose fortunes had played out a century earlier. We all know the phrase, “If walls could talk....” Well, the ruins of those old towns practically sung with stories of their rise and fall.

An Uncommon Enemy

Research for An Uncommon Enemy, my novel about the aftermath of the Washita Massacre, when troops of the Seventh Cavalry, led by George Armstrong Custer, attacked a sleeping Cheyenne village in 1868, caused me to search for a Cheyenne-English dictionary. When local bookstores and even Amazon.com had none to offer, I broadened my search and eventually located a linguist on the Northern Cheyenne reservation in Montana who had put together a beginning course in the Cheyenne language.

I ordered the course and was fascinated by the voice on the tapes, that of the late Cheyenne elder, Ted Risingson (who happened to be a grandson of the great Cheyenne leader Dull Knife—for those of you who might be familiar with Cheyenne history, or who have at least read Mari Sandoz’s amazing Cheyenne Autumn).

The linguist was producing the course himself out of the local Kinkos, but I thought the material deserved a much wider distribution. I owned a bookstore in Frisco at this time and so was very familiar with the wholesale book market. I approached the linguist and offered to professionally publish and distribute the course. He was reluctant at first to deal with a stranger, so I traveled to Lame Deer, Montana, and visited the reservation to meet with him personally. Soon I was able to publish “Let’s Talk Cheyenne” and make it available to libraries and bookstore outlets all over the country.

The experience was an amazing education for me and I feel proud to have contributed. in some small way, to the preservation of our rapidly disappearing Native languages.

Read the first two chapters here

My research adventure for Seance in Sepia took me all the way to London, though the story is not set there. The novel begins in the present day when a young woman buys an antique “spirit photograph” at an estate sale. The Victorians were obsessed with the occult and some photographers of that era claimed they could photograph the dearly departed during séances.

When the spirit photograph’s origins seem linked to a notorious 1875 murder trial, my historical protagonist, Victoria Woodhull, enters the story. Woodhull was a real person who, in addition to being the first woman to run for the U.S. presidency, was also a spiritualist. This was a lucrative career for a woman of that time period and widely respected. Spiritualists had their own trade organizations and even held national conventions.

Woodhull was also an outspoken advocate for Free Love, which earned her so much public scorn, she eventually left the United States and headed for England. There she married a wealthy banker and lived out the remainder of her very long life as the “lady of the manor” in the English countryside (proving, I hope, that living well is the best revenge).

I began to correspond with a descendant of her banker husband who had inherited all her personal papers. When he learned that my family and I would soon be visiting London, he invited us to dinner at his elegant Chelsea townhouse on Tite Street, just a few doors down from where Oscar Wilde once lived.

A memorable evening, to be sure, and one which reminds me how much my writing career continues to broaden my outlook and life experience.

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This post was reprinted with permission from the blog of novelist Patricia Stoltey, author of The Prairie Grass Murders and The Desert Hedge Murders. Visit her on the web at http://patriciastoltey.blogspot.com/

New ''Séance In Sepia" review from "Mystery and Me" blogger Allene Reynolds

2011-09-12T14:20:00.001-06:00

Available for pre-order on Amazon.com

"Séance In Sepia, by Michelle Black, isan extraordinary novel. Spanning two worlds it guides the reader from presentto past in a deft and enchanting chapter by chapter narrative.

Flynn Keirnan, a woman helping her father purchasemerchandise for his Antiquarian bookshop, discovers a old photograph in one ofthe volumes. It's not an ordinary sepia picture but a Victorian 'spiritphotograph'. A local antique dealer offers Flynn a nice price for the the photobut she decides to try her luck on eBay, little knowing that she is generatinga firestorm that will alter her life forever.

Who are those tragic, ghost-like images looking outward fromthe fading photo? Are they subjects of a bizarre and notorious murder trialheld in Chicago in 1857 that thepress dubbed 'The Free Love Murders'? Would Victoria Woodhull, a popularspiritualist of that time, decipher the true answers in a séance? Was itmurder, or suicide? And, how does Flynn cross the boundaries of time toresolve old issues? Séance In Sepia is a mystery and aromance, both old and new. A fascinating read, peeking into privatethoughts found in an old journal, reading the actual trial transcript andpursuing notes of the famous feminist Victoria Woodhull.

Seance In Sepia has not yet been releasedbut can be reserved on Amazon."--Allene Reynolds

Reprinted with permission from Mystery and Me Blogspot.

Publishers Weekly weighs in on Séance in Sepia

2011-08-05T19:58:00.003-06:00

This coming October, my new Victorian mystery novel, Séance in Sepia, will be published in hardcover by Five Star/Gale. As regular followers of this blog know, the story invites the reader to enter the bizarre world of Victorian spirit photography along with Flynn Keirnan who buys a strange old photograph at an estate sale.

She soon discovers the three figures in the photograph were involved in a notorious 1875 murder case in which a young architect was accused of killing his wife and best friend. Through trial transcripts, a journal kept by one of the victims, and notes from a jailhouse interview with the accused husband, Flynn learns that feminist firebrand and renowned spiritualist Victoria Woodhull was asked to contact the victims of the notorious “Free Love Murders” but the one-time presidential nominee soon found herself entangled in a web of intrigue and deceit that would take much more than a séance to resolve.

Weathering the gauntlet of reviews is the moment that every novelist both lives for and fears to the point of night sweats, but for this writer, the waiting is over and I can breathe again.

Publishers Weekly has reviewed my five previous novels and I am proud to share this new review of Seance in Sepia wherein they called it a "complex, skillfully told stand-alone" and conclude with:

"The smooth prose moves subtly between historical and modern investigative voices, leading the reader to muse along with the characters on the nature of how love has changed over the centuries."

The full review can be read on their site: http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-4328-2548-5

Two States, Two Conventions, One Dizzy Author Having Lots of Fun

2011-03-31T14:53:00.000-06:00

Talking about absinthe with Anomalycon steampunks

Last week offered a multitude of author-flavored treats for me. Two conventions, one brand new and one, an old favorite, were both timed for the same busy weekend in March.

Left Coast Crime, a mystery writers' convention which travels the Western states and landed in the gorgeous locale of Santa Fe, New Mexico, this year was slated to run from Thursday, March 24 to Sunday, the 27th.

Appearing on the Mysteries with a Social Conscience Panel

The venue of the conference was the charming La Fonda Hotel in the heart of the 470-year-old city (It is a thousand years old if you also count the Pueblo Indian villages on the site).

I was so intent on attending, I made my hotel reservations a year in advance. A few months ago, however, I was invited to attend the inaugural Anomalycon Steampunk Convention in Denver, which was scheduled for the same Saturday and Sunday of that week. Intent on meeting as many of my fellow Coloradoan steampunks as possible, I decided to split my time between the two cities so that I could appear at both.

My fellow panelists: Rhys Bowen, Susan Goldstein,
Mar Preston, and Elizabeth Gunn

Left Coast Crime was everything a writer could hope for in a mystery conference. The size was manageable so an attendee could feel they were participating in the the entire event without being overwhelmed. Writers were everywhere, so mingling with favorites and meeting new ones was easily possible.

Early Saturday morning, I bid goodbye to Santa Fe and drove to Albuquerque to catch a flight to Denver. By that afternoon, I was dressed for (steampunk) success and gave a talk and demonstration on the cultural history of absinthe at Anomalycon.

This steampunk convention was held in a unique, 100-year-old building that once housed the Tivoli Brewery, but is now the student union of the Auraria Campus of CU. My absinthe presentation was held in the ancient boiler room of the old brewery and pipes and gears formed an excellent steampunk venue.

I am in the lower right-hand corner with my
favorite absinthe fountain on the table.

I appeared on several author panels on Saturday and Sunday. My fellow panelists included David Boop, Sarah Hoyt, Quincy Allen, Tanglwyst de Holloway and Terry Kroenung.

Terry Kroenung, me, and Quincy Allen gabbing on a panel

I feel certain the first-ever Anomalycon was a success because a 2012 event has just been announced. As a part-time Coloradoan, I hope it is the first of many steampunk events.

The Green Muse--Absinthe and the Arts

2011-02-28T15:08:00.000-07:00

"La Muse verte" by Albert Maignan

Artists of the Belle Epoque called absinthe their "green muse." Did this storied beverage actually enhance their creativity? Little scientific evidence supports this claim, but when one looks at the sheer number of canvases these artists devoted to their favorite libation, one has to wonder.

Pictured here is Albert Maignan's 1895 painting, titled "La muse verte." A poet is depicted in the clutches of the Green Fairy. Whether he is suffering ecstasy or damnation may be for the viewer to decide.

"The Absinthe Drinker" by Manet

The earliest absinthe art to have achieved enough fame in its own time to survive to the present day would have to be "The Absinthe Drinker," by Edouard Manet. When the 26-year-old artist first tried to exhibit the work in 1859, the Salon of Paris rejected it.

Apparently, the art establishment did not approve of his realistic depiction of the man and his absinthe (the model was actually a rag picker whom Manet asked to pose). The Salon felt artists should take moral stands against intoxication. The fact that Manet's viewpoint was simply neutral was not considered acceptable at that time.

"L'Absinthe" by Degas

Edgar Degas also felt the sting of moral outrage at his subject matter when he created "L'Absinthe," in 1876. Originally titled "A Sketch of a French Café," the work portrayed two of his friends, the actress. Ellen Andrée, and the engraver, Marcellin Desboutin, drinking absinthe at their favorite Bohemian watering-hole, the Café Nouvelles-Athènes on the Place Pigalle.

One British reviewer called the female model a "slut" in print and insisted Degas's painting was a moral critique of the Bohemian lifestyle, in pious Victorian fashion. Ironically, Ms. Andrée rarely drank absinthe and complained in later life that her friend Degas had made her and Desboutin "look like two idiots."

"Monsieur Boileau at the Cafe" by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Another resident of the Bohemian demimonde of Montmartre to become fascinated by the Green Fairy was Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. He was known to fill a hollow cane with absinthe and liked to experiment with absinthe cocktails. A favorite was called "The Earthquake," which mixed absinthe with cognac.

His aristocratic father did not approve of his drinking habits and reputedly said, "Why doesn't he go to England? They scarcely notice the drunks there." (In the painting shown here, his father is depicted as the white-bearded gentleman with the top hat in the background of the scene.)

In the later years of his life, the artist's fondness for alcohol got the better of him and he was sent to a sanatorium by his family.

Portrait of Van Gogh by Toulouse-Lautrec

Lautrec was friends with another famous absinthe drinker of that time, Vincent Van Gogh. He made this pastel portrait of Van Gogh in 1887 in the Café du Tambourin, a popular gathering place for the neo-impressionists.

Lautrec and Paul Gauguin are said to have introduced the Dutchman to the most popular vices of the Montmartre's Bohemian subculture: absinthe and prostitutes. Neither did the artist any good.

"Still Life with Absinthe" by Van Gogh

Van Gogh departed the excesses of Paris for Arles in 1888, one year after painting his famous "Still Life with Absinthe." He tried to stop drinking while there, but his resolve did not last long.

Gauguin, who followed him there and shared a house with him, reports that a few days before Christmas that year, "He [Vincent] ordered a light absinthe. Suddenly, he flung the glass and its contents into my face. I managed to duck and grab him, take him out of the cafe and across the Place Victor Hugo. A few minutes later, Vincent was in his own bed and in a matter of seconds had fallen asleep, not to waken until morning. When he awoke he was perfectly calm and said to me: 'My dear Gauguin, I have a dim recollection that I offended you last night.'"

Three days later, on Christmas Eve, the infamous ear-cutting incident occurred.

"Woman Drinking Absinthe"

The fondness for absinthe among artists in Paris did not end with the Nineteenth Century, though its decadent glamor was starting to fade in the rising tide of temperance.

In 1901, a twenty-year-old Spaniard named Pablo Picasso began using absinthe culture as subject matter for his developing artistic style.

"The Absinthe Drinker"

Both "Woman Drinking Absinthe " and "The Absinthe Drinker" are portraits showing a deep emotional reaction to the subject matter.

"Bottle of Pernod and Glass"

By 1912, Picasso was still creating pictures on an absinthe theme, but his cubist style has now emerged.

Two years later, he chose a glass of absinthe as his subject for a series of abstract sculptures.

Does absinthe affect creativity? Is it really a Green Muse as the Victorian Art World proclaimed?

The high alcohol content of the drink combined with the stimulating effects of wormwood and certain other herbal additives are thought to produce a state called "lucid intoxication." In other words, the alcohol has a relaxing effect on the central nervous system, but the excitation from the wormwood creates a clarity of mind. This combination may be what the art world loved about absinthe.

But it must also be noted that overindulgence can have disastrous effects, as the lives of Van Gogh and Lautrec would illustrate.

Western Steampunk Comes into its Own

2011-02-17T08:37:00.001-07:00

The March issue of True West Magazine has a strong Steampunk component. I am proud to say I contributed a 7-page article to this, reporting on the increasing interest not only in the Steampunk phenomenon as a growing subculture, but a rising tide of Western focus within the larger movement.

While many still insist Steampunk does not truly exist outside the fantasy parameters of Victorian London, we westerners can rightfully claim that the first modern expression of the Steampunk esthetic was born in the 1960’s CBS television show, “The Wild, Wild West.” This unique show highlighted the actions of James West, a dapper 1870’s Secret Service agent who traveled the West in an elegant train car and used amazing scientific gadgets to fight crime and protect President Ulysses S. Grant.

The March issue is on sale now

The editors of True West Magazine apparently agree in that they have added an interview with Robert Conrad, the actor who portrayed James West in the TV series, to the March issue.

The True West issue also includes a beautiful 6-page Steampunk fashion spread, not to be missed by anyone loving modern reinventions of Western Victorian style. March will also see the debut of Wild Wild West Con Steampunk Convention in Tucson.

Viva The Victorian West!

Solomon Spring: My "Accidental" Mystery Novel

2011-02-04T09:12:00.003-07:00

Available on Amazon Kindle now.

I have just given a new lease on life to my second Eden Murdoch novel, Solomon Spring. This book was first published as a hard cover by TOR/Forge in the fall of 2002. A mass market paperback followed in 2003. Last month the rights reverted to me and I have now released a digital version of the book on Kindle. You can purchase a download for $2.99 here.

Read an excerpt on my website.

A trade paperback will also be released soon. Solomon Spring is a sequel of sorts to An Uncommon Enemy, though it can be read as a stand alone novel as well.

This book has always been very special to me for a variety of reasons. This was the most critically acclaimed and widely reviewed of all my novels, which pleased me, of course, but it also marked a new direction for my writing in that I first began to explore the mystery genre--but did so almost by accident.

The story had been originally conceived as an exploration of two very different child custody battles. The "Solomon" in the title was an intentional reference to the Biblical story of King Solomon deciding the custody of a baby, though the real mineral spring portrayed in the book did exist at the fork of the Solomon River.

I had every intention that the book would be a traditional historical novel in the same vein as its predecessor, An Uncommon Enemy. The story wove diverse threads that would include a naive experiment in social disobedience, a bittersweet love story, and a struggle to stay true to one's principles when a hard won career hangs in the balance--all played out against real life events of Great Plains history.

The original cover. The "label" features
an actual photograph of the spring
taken in 1879.

As the story began to take shape, though, I realized I truly hated my heroine's estranged husband so much I decided to kill him off. This placed Eden in the awkward position of being the most likely suspect since the warring couple had been engaged in a nasty custody battle over their son. At about this time, the notion began to dawn on me that this plot was veering into the province of a murder mystery.

My chosen setting also played a role in this transformation. The place I called the "Solomon Spring" was actually named the Great Spirit Spring, or Waconda Spring. This natural wonder was situated in north central Kansas. I refer to it in the past tense because the Glen Elder Dam was built there in the 1960's which flooded the area and, sadly, this amazing formation now sits at the bottom of the resulting reservoir.

I first learned about the spring while researching An Uncommon Enemy. Its mineral waters were thought to hold wondrous healing properties by the Indian tribes who made pilgrimages there for centuries. Once white populations moved into the area, they bottled and sold the waters as a miracle elixir. A health spa was opened at the site in the early 1880's and continued in operation until the 1950's.

When the Spring was dredged in 1895, they found countless Native American offerings and artifacts, plus one item they did not expect: a human skull. I longed to invent a story that would explain the presence of that skull!

The excerpt below, from Solomon Spring, is a historically accurate description of the Great Spirit Spring. The photo shown above was an actual photograph taken there in 1879, the same time period as my novel.

"A longing for happier days had drawn Eden back to the fork of the Solomon River after a decade’s absence. She had followed the Solomon once again to find the Sacred Spring. The last time she had made a pilgrimage to the Spring she had been carrying Hadley in her womb and had prayed there to be delivered of a healthy child. Her prayers had been answered and so she had given her the Cheyenne name of Maheo Maape, Medicine Water.

The natural–or supernatural–wonder that was the Spring never failed to amaze her. The silvery blue circle rose out of the prairie like an ancient remnant of the primordial sea that had once covered the vast plain. Why the sea vanished and left in its place only this round well of salty water perplexed and confounded innocents and experts alike. The Spring never froze in winter, nor flooded with the torrents of spring rain, nor did its surface recede in times of drought.

It mineral-laden waters seeped over the edges of its circular bank in steady and even proportions year after year, decade after decade, slowly increasing its own basin. Higher and higher it grew above the prairie floor surrounding it as the minerals laid down their deposits for centuries to create an imposing and enormous limestone dome."

The Absinthe Ritual

2011-01-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

Why is there a ritual?

Wormwood, the primary herbal ingredient in absinthe, is quite bitter. To increase the palatability of absinthe, especially for the sugar-loving Victorians, it needed to be sweetened. Yet sugar does not mix readily with alcohol. These two facts gave rise to the invention of the absinthe ritual.

A long, flat slotted spoon was created for this purpose. The spoons typically featured a small indentation on the handle to help secure its seat on the glass rim.

In the 19th century, as well as in the 21st, absinthe distillers would frequently create a spoon with their company logo on it for promotional purposes. Antique absinthe spoons are now highly prized by collectors.

A sugar cube, or two or three, was then placed on the slotted portion and ice cold water was slowly dripped through the sugar cube, dissolving the sugar into the absinthe.

The Louche

As the water mixes with the absinthe, a famous transformation takes place. The clear green liquor becomes cloudy and the drink takes on its legendary opalescence. This process is called “louching.” (pronounced: looshing) This change is caused by the water releasing the natural oils present in the herbs of the absinthe.

Some brands of absinthe are artificially colored and will have a darker green louche.

When the glass is filled and the sugar is fully dissolved, the absinthe is ready to drink. The ratio of absinthe to water is traditionally 1:5. The water can simply be poured into the glass, but a nice method to accomplish the process is to use an absinthe fountain.

Absinthe fountains dispense ice water from tiny spigots which can be made to gently drip the water into the sugar cubes to allow the maximum dissolution.

Cafes serving absinthe during its Belle Epoque heyday often featured large fountains with multiple spigots on their bars. This would allow their patrons to accomplish the absinthe ritual while still conversing with friends.

The History of Absinthe

2011-01-01T09:27:00.002-07:00

What is Absinthe?

Absinthe is a distilled spirit containing herbs, most notably wormwood. Wormwood is the common name for Artemisia absinthium and has been used as a folk medicine for centuries. The ancient Greeks infused their wine with wormwood to treat rheumatism and anemia.

The ancient Romans thought it cured everything from fever to bad breath. Chinese texts dating from the first century B.C.E. indicated they used it to treat malaria.

The word itself seems to date to Middle English: wormwode—"wode" being an early word for “cure.” The bitter-tasting herb was used to treat intestinal parasites, thus the term “wormwood” evolved.

The first true absinthe

Modern absinthe can be traced to a French doctor living in the Swiss border town of Couvet. In the last decade of the 18th Century, Dr. Pierre Ordinaire distilled a liquor and infused it with the herbs wormwood, anise, and fennel. According to a promotional brochure published by Pernod Fils in 1896, the good doctor used his “elixir” to treat a variety of ailments. After his death, his recipe continued to be produced in the village until it came to be owned by Henri-Louis Pernod who produced the first commercial absinthe at Pontarlier, France, in 1805.

He built a factory for the distillation of absinthe and was the first to sell it as a beverage rather than medicine. His sons took over the business after his death (hence the modern company name of Pernod Fils) and absinthe grew in popularity throughout the 19th Century.

The Belle Epoque

In the 1870’s, misfortune struck the French winemaking industry. The vineyards were all but wiped out by root blight. Wine became scarce and costly for the next thirty years. Absinthe consumption soared during this period. In cafes, its cost was half the price of whiskey and only slightly higher than beer.

During this first heyday, absinthe was the drink of choice by the artistic and literary set frequenting Parisian cafes. By the 1890’s, the drink had outgrown its cult status and was enjoyed by millions of imbibers. Five o’clock became known as l’heure verte—the green hour, when countless Parisians headed for the cafes of Montmartre to drink their favorite aperitif.

The Old Absinthe House, New Orleans, LA

In America, New Orleans was a popular spot for absinthe consumption. The Old Absinthe House was first built in the French Quarter in the early part of the Nineteenth Century and by the 1870’s was serving absinthe. Three large fountains sat on the bar to dispense ice water for preparation of the drink in the classic French manner.

The ban

The temperance furor of the early 20th Century began a campaign in numerous countries to ban absinthe. All sorts of charges were leveled against wormwood, most based on little, if any, actual science. Rather than the cure-all the ancients claimed, temperance advocates insisted absinthe could cause madness, epilepsy, even tuberculosis. That absinthe could have any ill effects over and above those caused by its alcoholic properties—and, in point of fact, absinthe does carry a very high alcohol content, typically 55-66%—were never proven, then or since.

Nevertheless, the United States made the sale of alcoholic products containing wormwood illegal in 1912. This prohibition remained in effect for ninety-five years.

The modern era

Oscar Wilde

The fact that wormwood contains thujone, a chemical cousin of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, set off modern speculation that absinthe had psychotropic capabilities. This rumor was bolstered by remarks attributed to Oscar Wilde, in which he claimed than after drinking absinthe one night he began to hallucinate, imagining a field of tulips in the bar as he left it.

Again, scant scientific evidence supports this claim of hallucinogenic properties. Thujone has been shown to cause seizures in mice after they were given massive doses of the substance. Modern wormwood levels are regulated and no one could drink enough absinthe to suffer any adverse effects from the thujone content—alcohol poisoning being a far greater threat if absinthe were imbibed in such large quantities.

In 2007, the U.S. lifted its ban on products containing wormwood and a new age of absinthe drinking in America began.

An Evening of Steamphunk

2010-12-28T16:30:00.002-07:00

On the night after Christmas in downtown Denver, I had the delightful opportunity to experience an evening of music and dance with a decidedly Steampunk flavor called "The Con: A Steamphunk Reverie." The theatrical performance was a collaboration between a three-piece string group called The Gristle Gals and the Ascential Dance Theater Colorado.

The performance took place at Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret on the lower level of the historic Clocktower building on the 16th Street Mall. The Gristle Gals opened the evening with an acoustic set, then provided the musical accompaniment during the play, and finally closed out the evening with an electric set.

The Gristle Gals are a talented trio consisting of Gretchen Kunz, the lead vocalist and guitar player, who also writes songs for the group, Mandi Malone, violinist and accordion player, and Nicki Handi, the bass player. The Gals describe their sound as "gypsy grass," a delicious concoction that Westward Magazine called, "modern and edgy, but with an old-timey feel." That is a pretty astute definition of the emerging genre of steampunk music as a whole.

The playbill defines "steamphunk" as a subgenre of Steampunk that is “characterized by a prevalence of bluegrass, rock, Americana, jazz and funk music as well as themes of roof tearing, thrill, bass, race, sex, and parliamentary democracy.” Not sure what that means, but I can say with certainty that this group would delight the heart of any steampunk enthusiast and they will get several opportunities to experience this music soon.

The Gristle Gals are already booked to perform at two Steampunk conventions in 2011--Wild, Wild, West Con in Tuscon, AZ, on the first weekend in March, and at Denver’s Anomalycon, the last weekend of that same month. They will again be joined by the modern dance troupe, Ascential, who provide the theatrical portion of the work, performing in steampunk-inspired costumes, as the story of con artists and their demimonde unfolds in "The Con: A Steamphunk Reverie."

Highly recommended.

The Steampunk Heart of Victorian Spirit Photography

2010-12-17T07:57:00.001-07:00

The cover image for SÉANCE IN SEPIA

Spirit photography embodies the ultimate Steampunk conceit: it represents the nexus of two of the biggest Victorian obsessions--technology and the occult.

What was spirit photography?

The first commercial spirit photographer set up shop in Boston in the early 1860's. His name was William Mumler and his photographs were an instant sensation. He soon moved to New York to further his reputation and success. The massive loss of life during the Civil War spurred interest in making contact with the departed. Séances were more than a popular parlor entertainment. A large percentage of the population sincerely believed they could contact spirits of deceased loved ones using the services of a medium.

Mumler began to conduct séances in his photographic studio and, because the technology represented by the new invention of photography, his spirit photographs had added credibility. Technology was scientific and science couldn't lie, right?

His most famous sitter was the recently widowed Mary Todd Lincoln whose portrait seems to show a spectral Abraham Lincoln standing behind her.

Harper's couldn't resist lampooning the Mumler trial in the cartoon

There were doubters, of course. P.T. Barnum and others charged Mumler with fraud, claiming that some of his ghost images belonged to living persons. The May 8th, 1869, issue of Harper's Weekly Magazine reported, "If there is a trick in Mr. Mumler's process it has certainly not been detected as yet. To all appearances spiritual photography rests just where the rappings and table-turnings have rested for some years. Those who believe in it at all will respect no opposing arguments, and disbelievers will reject every favorable hypothesis or explanation. "

Mumler was acquitted, but his reputation was damaged by the charges. Spirit photography's most famous proponent was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. In 1925, he wrote "The Case for Spirit Photography."

A fascinating website is available from avid spirit photography collectors, Jack and Beverly of the BrightBytes Studio. They not only own an impressive collection of original spirit photographs, but offer a wealth of information and links to other sites on the subject.

In 2005, the Metropolitan Museum of Art created an exhibit on the subject of Spirit Photography. A beautiful coffee table-sized book called "The Perfect Medium" was produced from the exhibition and is still available on Amazon.

My forthcoming novel, SÉANCE IN SEPIA, is a Victorian mystery delving into the world of spirit photography. Real life feminist Victoria Woodhull is featured as the protagonist in that, before she was the first female presidential candidate and the foremost proponent of Free Love and other radical causes, she was a spiritualist and even served as the president of the American Association of Spiritualists in the mid-1870's. (for more information on Victoria, please see my previous post here.)

Absinthe Superieure

2010-12-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

Last night, I took my absinthe drinking to a new plane entirely by sampling Jade's Nouvelle Orleans. This absinthe cost roughly twice as much as I am used to paying, so I wondered if it would be worth the added expense.

Oh, my--yes, it was. I have never tasted an absinthe so light, so smooth, so delicious and seductive. From the first delicate scent to the last sip, the experience was nothing short of divine.

This absinthe is created in France by New Orleans native T.A. Breaux who pioneered research into creating a true absinthe similar to those produced prior to the banning of absinthe in France, the U. S., and numerous other countries, in the early part of the Twentieth Century.

Breaux was a chemist who purchased a pre-ban bottle of absinthe from an estate sale in Europe. He subjected it to intense chemical analysis in order to re-create the original flavor in a modern product.

Nouvelle Orleans Absinthe Superieure

He claims this method is superior to those of other distillers who simply use the 19th-century recipes in that the types of herbs called for in those recipes may have changed over the intervening hundred years. The distillation method uses grapes as its alcohol base and, according to the Jade website: "Jade Liqueurs' absinthes are crafted entirely by hand, and enjoy the unique privilege of being distilled in original 1,150L copper bain marie alembics that were acquired directly from perhaps the most famous original absinthe distillery in Pontarlier, France approximately one hundred years ago."

Available on Amazon

Jade produces several absinthes, but the"Nouvelle Orleans" was created to celebrate absinthe's American heritage in New Orleans, specifically at the Old Absinthe House, which was built in 1806 and had an "Absinthe room" at least by the 1870's. "L'esprit du Vieux Carré" is well-served by this delicious absinthe.

And, yes, I had a second glass.
Without regret...I am happy to report.

Steamcon II--A Brass-Hued Memory

2010-11-27T09:44:00.003-07:00

The past is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. After three days of corsets and bustles, jeans and sneakers felt pretty good when I boarded the plane that would return me to the year 2010.

Still, those three days in Seattle attending Steamcon II were a magical respite from the annoying realities of modern life. I am still basking in the brassed-hued afterglow.

So much entertainment was available--over 200 hours, in fact--that it was hard to choose among the many offerings. An interview with Jake Von Slatt, of the Steampunk Workshop, whose modding artistry I have mentioned in an earlier post, was one of the best.

He described the emotional impetus that led him to create his first Victorian computer, which he calls an intersection of romance and technology. (I got the chance to tell him that his creation changed my life--that I was a dedicated Steampunk from the moment I saw it.)

The musical highlight of the weekend, for this chrononaut, was catching a set by Unwoman in the Sepiachord Cabaret. Unwoman, who is also know as Erica Mulkey, is a talented cellist with a hypnotic, otherworldly voice and a flair for dramatic songwriting.

She is based in San Francisco and, in addition to her solo work, frequently performs with Steampunk staples like Vernian Process and Abney Park. My first exposure to her ethereal music was at last year's Steamcon.

Another musical highlight for me at this year's Steamcon was the discovery of Bakelite '78. They opened for Abney Park at the Saturday night "Outlaw Night Concert." Their mix of jazz, blues, early rock n' roll, and American folk left me wanting more. Robert J. Rial is their frontman. He started out in Chicago, but now calls Seattle home. To learn more, check out the Bakelite '78 Myspace page. (Their name derives from the early form of plastic called Bakelite, used to press the original 78 rpm records.)

The 2,000 attendees at Steamcon literally outdid themselves this year on their convention attire. The phenomenal creativity on display made simple people-watching as entertaining as anything the many talented writers, artists, and historians could offer in their panels.

Examining Castle's mechanical arm.

I don't intend any slight to the vast array of talented presenters, but the artistry displayed by the attendees alone was well worth the modest admission fee for the weekend.

Mechanical wings and arms were a favorite this year. I even got to see the mechanical arm worn by Nathan Fillion in the the Steampunk episode of Castle. Its creator was offering his wares for sale in the vendors room. The gentleman in question had the privilege of appearing as an extra in that episode. He said the filming of the scenes at the steampunk club, which probably occupied less than ten minutes of airtime, took sixteen hours to film.

A young miss whose wings fluttered gracefully.

A very attractive zeppelin crew

The brightest moment of the weekend for this dog-loving steampunk enthusiast had to be meeting M.U.T. His owner said his name was an acronym for Mechanical Universal Tracker. His little spoon ears flapped and his recorded voice barked and panted as he rolled down the halls of the convention center posing for countless eager lenses.

Check out an ever-growing number of photos on Flickr

Steamcon III is less than a year away. I will miss the Old West theme, though, as 2011 will focus on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and be held October 14-16 at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue. I can't wait though. How often does a girl get an opportunity to dress in a ruffled ball gown?

Steamcon II--Personal Reflections

2010-11-23T14:10:00.001-07:00

Shamelessly showing off my new leather corset

The best part about attending Steamcon II, in Seattle last weekend, was learning that at least 2,000 others share my madness. This affliction, however, is so euphoric, we don't seek a cure.

For three days, the halls of the Seatac Airport Hilton and Marriott were thronging with airship pirates, mad scientists, time travelers, intrepid adventurers, and countless other exceedingly well-dressed individuals with affiliations unknown.

Kevin Steil, Airship Ambassador

Among the best dressed was Kevin Steil, the Airship Ambassador, who conducted an hour-long interview with myself (and many others throughout the weekend) for his excellent Steampunk blog. also called Airship Ambassador.

On Friday, I moderated a panel on "Becoming a Writer" with authors Caitlin Kittredge and Jay Lake. We tried to give budding writers as much encouragement and reference points as possible. Jay was nominated for a Steamcon Airship Award this year, celebrating extraordinary achievement and contribution to the Steampunk community.

Caitlin, at the tender age of 26, is already a publishing veteran with several paranormal series to her credit, and a new Steampunk YA series called The Iron Codex debuting in February from Random House with the first title, "The Iron Thorn."

Gail Carriger, David Malki! and me

Saturday included a panel on "Researching the Victorian Era" with bestselling Parasol Protectorate author Gail Carriger and Wondermark comic artist David Malki! (and, yes, he spells his name with an exclamation point.)

Gail Carriger's academic background as an archeologist gave her research tips an added ring of authenticity. Her witty novels, Soulless, Changeless, and Blameless, are a Steampunk series not to be missed, and her livejournal blog is among the most amusing on the 'Net.

Davis Malki!'s Wondermark comic is a true original. He shared with us the intensive research he puts into his art. Please visit Wondermark --an entertaining foray into a Victorian world you won't soon forget.

Everyday Steampunk

"Everyday Steampunk" was my final panel of the day. My fellow panelists were Clockworks webcomic artist Shawn Gaston and artist Anthony Jon Hicks of Tinplate Studios.

Me with Shawn Gaston and Tony Hicks

In addition to drawing the unique and entertaining Clockworks, Shawn also DJs a Steampunk night at an absinthe bar in his home city of St. Louis.

Tony Hicks sells wildly original art on Etsy.com. Please stop by his shop to view his fascinating "Anomalies." They are disturbing and irresistible.

And then the Green Hour, L'heure Verte, arrived...

At six o'clock in the evening, a group began to assemble to hear your humble author hold forth on her favorite topic: Absinthe.

I expected an audience of around 25-30 and was overwhelmed to see in excess of 150 onlookers fill our little "salon".

Had I imagined a crowd this size, I would have placed the absinthe-inspired art of Manet, Degas, Picasso, and Van Gogh up on the big screen.

Signing copies of THE SECOND GLASS OF ABSINTHE

After describing the cultural history of Absinthe and its place in Belle Epoch cafe society, I demonstrated the time-honored method preparing Absinthe. I worry that the audience members sitting farther back could not see the lovely louching process first hand. (Note to self: MUST add a big screen to all future presentations.)

The many fans of the notorious Green Fairy asked interesting questions and shared their own experiences. A drawing was held to give away door prizes: Three absinthe spoons, each accompanied with a copy of my own: "The Second Glass of Absinthe."

In my next post, I will detail my general experiences as a Steamcon attendee as opposed to a presenter, with many more photos to come. Stay tuned...

Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee will be represented at Steamcon II

2010-11-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

My Steampunk ball gown just arrived and I am so thrilled. It proves that a girl never gets too old to play Dress Up. I plan to wear this little number not only to the Saturday night concert at Steamcon, but also to my Absinthe presentation which occurs at 6pm that evening. It is green, after all.

I am secretly grateful to the entire Steampunk community for hosting all these wonderful excuses to dress with the elegance of a bygone era.

One item I am planning to wear with my various Steampunk ensembles is a cherished gift from a longtime friend and mentor, Dale L. Walker. I first met Dale when he edited my three novels at Tor/Forge. He is not only an excellent editor, but an award-winning writer of American history and an authority on the life and works of Jack London.

His many books include Bear Flag Rising, Pacific Destiny, and the very intriguing saga of Mary Edwards Walker (no relation) who served as a physician during the Civil War.

Dale, knowing my love of Victoriana, recently sent me an 1897 medal commemorating Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. I hope to host a visit from him here at The Victorian West in the coming weeks.

Steamcon Countdown--Panel Schedule

2010-11-08T08:00:00.001-07:00

Steamcon II: The Weird, Weird West

My Steamcon Appearance Schedule:

Friday--November 19

Becoming a Writer 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Emerald B, Hilton

An overview, we will examine beginning steps, unions, podcasts, writer's groups, guilds, 'Writer's Minimums'; challenges.
Michelle Black (M), Jay Lake, Caitlin Kittredge

Saturday--November 20

Meet Michelle Black 11:00 AM - Noon Suite by Pool, Marriott
The Airship Ambassador interviews author Michelle Black.
Kevin Steil (M), Michelle Black

Researching the Victorian Era 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Orcas A&B, Hilton
How to find and use source material on the Victorian era to enhance your writing.
Gail Carriger (M), Michelle Black, David Malki !

Everyday Steampunk 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Orcas A&B, Hilton
How are people bringing the steampunk ethos into their everyday lives? Is there a steampunk philosophy of living, and if so, what does it look like? What can steampunk culture teach mainstream culture?
Michelle Black (M), Shawn Gaston, Anthony Jon Hicks

Wicked World of Absinthe 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Mercer A&B, Hilton
Experience the history and lore of Absinthe, that favorite libation of Victorian painters and poets who called it their Green Muse. See absinthe art, learn absinthe culture, and view the fabled absinthe drinking ritual first hand. Subject matter and reference material may not be suitable for those under age 16.
Michelle Black

Both made by Ms. Purdy, at Etsy.com

Preparations for Steamcon II continue... Choice of hats and other accessories are so crucial. Shoes--always a problem--comfort versus fashion? A contest fought daily by most women and so few men. Hmmm...perhaps the sexes are not so equal on that front, but whose fault is that, ladies?
I have vowed: no more blisters. Fashion be damned!

Back to hats, what a delightful topic. Hats are such a marvelous invention. They not only keep one's head warm in winter, they can shield one from the harmful and blinding rays of the sun, and --best of all--they hide the fact that its wearer is suffering through a dreaded Bad Hair Day.

The two hats I will be wearing were both purchased on Etsy.com at an excellent shop called Ms. Purdy's Hats. Highly recommend for all your millinery needs.

Preparing for Steamcon...or where is my steamer trunk when I need it?

2010-11-04T12:55:00.001-06:00

So much to do!

Steamcon II is just two weeks from tomorrow. Yikes, time to start packing. And packing for a Steampunk convention is a no small undertaking. Still, the cares and labors, not to mention the excess baggage fees, will all be worth it, of that much I am certain.

Your author will be appearing on the program this year. Last year, I was but a humble neophyte and dazzled rubber-necker, nearly overwhelmed by the the sights and sounds of this delightful and innovative subculture that has enchanted me from the first moment I beheld a picture of a Jake Von Slatt steampunked computer.

I don't remember where I saw it. It must have been featured on Boingboing, but I have since become a regular visitor to Mr. Von Slatt's amazing website, The Steampunk Workshop. He will be a guest of honor at the forthcoming Steamcon, along with numerous other artists, makers and modders. I will have the privilege of moderating a panel entitled, "Everyday Steampunk" with artists Shawn Gaston and Anthony Jon Hicks.

I am glad to be the moderator because I have many more questions than answers and am relying on my fellow panelists to expound on the Steampunk philosphy of living. How are people bringing it into their everyday lives and what can Steampunk culture teach mainstream culture? I spoke to this topic briefly in an early post on this site called "Living Steampunk," in which I shared a picture of my beloved Steampunk house near Boulder, Colorado.

Kevin Steil, aka Airship Ambassador

I will be interviewed by Kevin Steil, whose website and blog, The Airship Ambassador is a fabulous resource for anyone wanting up-to-date information on all things Steampunk.

Kevin will be busy that weekend interviewing a vast array of authors and artists, united in their love of Steampunk. Cherie Priest, Gail Carriger, Paul Guinan, Mike Pershon, Caitlin Kittredge, and many, many more.

In addition to speaking on Everyday Steampunk, I have also been asked to hold forth on "Becoming a Writer," (a topic I still wish I knew something about) and "Researching the Victorian Era," (an activity I have spent countless hours engaged in over the last two decades, but about which I still wish I knew more).

The presentation I am most excited about will be--regular followers of this blog can already guess this--sharing my obsession with Absinthe: Its history, its mystique, its ritual, not to mention all the artists and poets inspired by it. Which leads me back to my original topic: How to pack for a Steampunk adventure?

My first challenge is packing the absinthe fountain. It is huge and weights nearly a ton. Okay, I am exaggerating, but it is breakable and awkward to pack.

Of course, I own a smaller absinthe fountain (what self-respecting absinthteur doesn't own more than one?) and though it is lighter and easier to find a space for, it is much more breakable and not nearly as pretty. And pretty is IMPORTANT. I would even hazard to say, pretty is crucial to the world of Steampunk aesthetic.

At least the absinthe spoons are easy to pack. I plan to give them away as door prizes along with free copies of The Second Glass of Absinthe.

Not to suggest that The Second Glass of Absinthe is a Steampunk novel (though I would be proud to bestow that designation). I like to think of my two most recent Victorian West novels as Steampunk-adjacent. Both Second Glass and Séance in Sepia are mystery novels set in Victorian-era America and both deal with the world of the Victorian occult. The supernatural is hinted at in both books but makes itself known in ways too subtle for either novel to jump the aisles between mystery and fantasy.

Alas, I am reaching the end of this post and have not yet begun to address the crucial topic of fashion. Stay tuned...

We have three winners!

2010-11-02T09:07:00.000-06:00

Many thanks to all who entered my Halloween Absinthe contest, either by leaving a comment here or through my website. I loved hearing from you all.

As promised, three winners' names were drawn from my absinthe fountain. The drawing was monitored by Sprocket, the Steampunk Schnauzer. (try to say that three times, fast.)

The winners--Penny, Helen, and Liz--have all been contacted and their prizes are on the way to them. They resided in all parts of the country, from one coast to the other.

Hosting a giveaway drawing was so much fun, I want to do it again and again! Stay tuned...

Free Books and Absinthe Spoons--A Halloween Drawing!

2010-10-25T10:23:00.003-06:00

Halloween is my favorite time of year. To celebrate, I am giving away three copies of THE SECOND GLASS OF ABSINTHE, each accompanied by its own absinthe spoon! (If you don't drink absinthe, you can always use the spoon as a bookmark.)

Entering the drawing is simple: Just send me a message here on my blog, or through my website:
www.michelleblack.com
between now and October 31, 2010. (Contest restricted to U.S. addresses only.)

If you would like to know more about THE SECOND GLASS OF ABSINTHE or the Absinthe ritual, check out my earlier post: The Second Glass of Absinthe Returns.

All the entries will be placed in my absinthe fountain--which will be dry and empty for the occasion--and three winners' names will be pulled out. Once the fountain has performed its contest duties, it will resume the dispensing of ice water for my post-Halloween sip of absinthe.

I will contact the three winners on November 1 to obtain their mailing addresses.
(Rest assured, your email addresses will not be shared or used for any other purpose.)

Good Luck!

Is Steampunk Entering the Mainstream?

2010-10-13T09:46:00.002-06:00

Watch the full episode of "Punked" at www.ABC.go.com/Castle

The October 11, 2010, episode of Castle featured the Steampunk community as a plot device and, wonder of wonders, they got it right. As G.D. Falksen reports on the Tor.com blog, “The latest episode of Castle has gone steampunk, and it has done so with all of the elegance, charm, respectfulness, and accuracy that I have come to expect from the show. The episode, titled “Punked,” has clearly been the result of careful research and dedicated writing.”

After watching the show Monday night, I think we who love the Steampunk aesthetic all breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Photos of the filming had already filtered into the blogoshere several weeks ago. The costuming supplied by the Legendary Costume Works was impressive, so at least we knew the show’s creators were going to get the look right.

The plot was typically loopy, as most Castle plots are—that’s part of the show’s charm. The essential whimsy of the Rick Castle character dovetails beautifully with the inherently whimsical attitude of most Steampunk aficionados I have met. His explanation of Steampunk as being a subculture embracing the “simplicity and romance” of the past and marrying it to the hope, promise, and “sheer supercoolness” of the future is hard to top.

Thank you ABC and everyone responsible for the delightful Castle show.

Read G.D. Falksen's full review here.

Are Bloggers the New Gatekeepers?

2010-09-30T09:38:00.002-06:00

Read the first chapter online

This week, I was interviewed by Jane Friedman on her Writers Digest Blog, "There Are No Rules." The title of the interview is "Are Bloggers the New Gatekeepers in Publishing?"

Please stop by and give it a look. In it I discuss my recent self-publishing venture involving my 2001 novel, An Uncommon Enemy. Those who have been following my progress on this project will already know how a review and excerpt of the novel on the Kindle Nation blog sent sales of the ebook soaring into the bestseller range a few weeks ago.

An Uncommon Enemy's success stands in contrast to the sales figures for its sequel, The Second Glass of Absinthe, published as an ebook and a mass market paperback by Macmillan the same week. How does a self-published book out-sell its New York-published counterpart?

Price may be one factor. Enemy's list price on Amazon is $2.99. Absinthe retails at $7.99. That's a hefty price differential. Still, the decisive difference may be that I, as the publisher, took the trouble to increase my book's exposure to the reading public. No one can buy a book if they don't know it exists.

I want to thank Jane Friedman for the opportunity to share my views and my experiences on this interesting new topic of digital publishing. Her blog is filled with the latest information on all aspects of publishing today. I am now a regular reader and believe writers can learn valuable information on all aspects of the trade. Be sure to visit There Are No Rules.

And STAY TUNED...the trade paperback version of An Uncommon Enemy is in the works.

Happy Birthday, Victoria Woodhull!

2010-09-23T11:18:00.003-06:00

On this day in 1838, a woman was born who would change American history forever--Victoria C. Woodhull. She would become the first woman to run for the U.S. presidency, but that is only one in a long list of "firsts" for this remarkable woman.

Born into poverty in Ohio and given little formal education, she married at fourteen and gave birth a year later to a handicapped son. Her new husband proved to be an alcoholic, incapable of supporting her, so she was forced at the tender age of fifteen to become the primary breadwinner for herself, her child, and even her husband, whenever he managed to be on the scene.

She supported herself as a spiritualist--a popular and lucrative career for a woman in the mid-Nineteenth Century when women's options were few. Just after the Civil War, she met her future husband, James Blood, in St. Louis. They fell madly in love, divorced their current spouses and quickly married.

Blood was an intellectual and a social radical. He tutored Victoria in all manner of political discourse of the day and recognized not only her astonishing intellect, but her amazing gift for oratory. They moved to New York and together with Victoria's younger sister, Tennessee Claflin, started a radical newspaper, Woodhull & Claflin's Weekly. They opened the first women's brokerage house on Wall Street.

Victoria began speaking out on women's issues, particularly suffrage, and was the first to address the Judiciary Committee of Congress on the issue of whether women were "persons" within the meaning of the newly passed Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the constitution. (A topic still inciting controversy to this very day.) She became famous--some would say, notorious-- for her advocacy of the notion of Free Love. She knew through her own hard experiences in life what many women's rights advocates of her time did not: that women needed much more than the vote to achieve a fair and equal place in American society. They needed a full bank of rights--liberalized divorce laws, fair property rights, in short--equal protection under all the laws.

Available on Amazon

This is just a short introduction to the life of this amazing woman. I found her so fascinating, I included her as a character in my next novel, Séance in Sepia (coming in October 2011). To learn more about Victoria, there are several good biographies available. My favorite is: Notorious Victoria, by Mary Gabriel.

A comprehensive website to visit is http://www.victoria-woodhull.com/

The Victorian West Welcomes Sarah Johnson

2010-09-17T06:10:00.001-06:00

Readers of historical fiction may already know Sarah Johnson. She is a reference librarian at Eastern Illinois University, but she is best known to the literary world as the editor of the Historical Novel Review, the magazine of the Historical Novel Society, a position she has held for the past 11 years. She has written two books surveying the field of historical novels, covering over 7,000 books--a resource to both librarians building their collections as well as lovers of the genre.

She reviews novels and interviews authors on her excellent blog: Reading the Past

Today she has been kind enough to visit my site and share her personal definition of the Victorian West novel and her choices for the best representations of this sub-genre.

Reading the Victorian West: A Few Personal Picks

By Sarah Johnson

I’d like to thank Michelle for the invitation to write a guest post for her blog. Although I’m a native Yankee now living in Illinois, I’ve spent many a summer vacation driving around and visiting historic towns out west. To me, the phrase “Victorian West” presents a fascinating study in contrasts: rough-and-tumble frontier settings meet up with high society manners, elegant dress, ornate Victorian-style architecture, and classic small-town politics. Reading historical novels with these settings lets me envision how people lived and interacted at this exciting point in time. Here are some of my favorites.

Richard Wheeler (who I see has recently contributed a guest post here himself) is a superb author of historical westerns. Whether he’s writing biographical fiction that reveals the human side of famous western personalities or sprawling epics about mining boomtowns notched high in the Rockies, his novels illustrate the diversity of the Western experience, and they’re remarkably free of stereotypes or clichés. Second Lives, which may be my all-time favorite western novel, not only showcases Denver at the height of the Gilded Age but also serves as a brilliant character study of down-on-their luck men and women hoping for a new shot at life.

Among other Colorado-set novels, Ann Parker’s Inez Stannert mysteries set in 1870s-80s Leadville, beginning with Silver Lies, center on a strong woman striving to make her way in a man’s world. A straight-talking saloon owner who can deal cards with the best of them, Inez also gets to show her vulnerable side, and her romantic interest, the Rev. Justice Sands, gets my vote for sexiest minister west of the Mississippi.

Leadville’s most famous celebrity couple, Horace and Baby Doe Tabor, figures in many historical novels (John Vernon’s All for Love may be the best known), but what of Horace’s long-suffering wife, Augusta? Jane Candia Coleman’s magnificent first-person novel Matchless (alt. title Silver Queen) demonstrates not only her independence and fortitude, roughing it as the first woman in Colorado’s silver mining country, but also her wisdom in knowing how to stay afloat during the era’s big reversals of fortune. And while we’re spending time high in the Colorado mountains, I can’t resist mentioning Michelle’s own Never Come Down, an entertaining multi-period romantic drama set in the ghost town of Leap Year. I love novels that unravel genealogical connections, and the suspenseful plot kept me guessing.

Moving further West, Cecelia Holland’s duology Railroad Schemes and Lily Nevada follows one of her most fascinating fictional creations, bookish gambler’s daughter Lily Viner, as she teams up with an Irish outlaw on heists along the rails in 1850s Los Angeles and later becomes a famous actress in San Francisco. Nora Simms, the prostitute heroine of Erika Mailman’s Woman of Ill Fame, establishes her independence in a very different sort of way, aiming to climb society’s ladder one customer at a time. This unabashedly bawdy tale stands out thanks to Nora’s witty narrative voice and joyous, unbridled greed. Mailman presents Gold Rush-era San Francisco as an ethnically diverse, colorful place with opportunity and risks aplenty, especially for those in Nora’s profession.

Women kept up with social proprieties even in isolated 19^th-century frontier towns, and Jeanne Williams’ Lady of No-Man’s Land appealed to me because of its resourceful heroine, a Swedish immigrant who uses her talent for sewing to make a living in a new and unfamiliar country. Kirsten Mordal, only seventeen when the novel begins, endures many hardships, including the death of her sister, brutal weather conditions, treacherous outlaws, and the knowledge that the man she loves is already married. It’s not a depressing story at all, however, but one of strength, patience, and triumph. You can’t go wrong with any of Williams’ western novels, particularly if you like reading about strong women overcoming adverse circumstances.

Likewise, one doesn’t think of the plains of north Texas in the late 19^th century as the pinnacle of high society (and it wasn’t), but Clay Reynolds’ The Tentmaker depicts the growth of a western town from its earliest beginnings as a gathering of handmade tent-shelters to a full-fledged settlement with a saloon, general store, and even a madam-with-an-attitude. Victorian virtues didn’t always trump the lawlessness of the rowdy frontier, but I had a great time watching these colorful characters attempt to establish a civilizing influence on the gritty and violent western landscape.

Reindeer Games

2010-09-16T06:31:00.000-06:00

The ebook revolution has been nearly fifteen years in the making, but sometimes the success of one invention requires the invention of another. Builders had the method to create skyscrapers long before they had the initiative to do so. Tall buildings could not meaningfully exist before the invention of the elevator. Sure, people were capable of walking up and down thirty flights of stairs but it was scarcely desirable or practical to do so.

Books could be read on computer screens for decades, but it was not an enjoyable experience. The last two years have seen the introduction of a variety of ebook readers that not only mimic the traditional experience of reading a paper book, but now in many ways enhance, even exceed that experience.

Adjustable text sizes eliminate the need for those #$%&-ing reading glasses. Online page syncing allows the reader to simultaneously read the same book on multiple devices--Kindle at home, smart phone with Kindle app on the lunch break? No more sitting in that dentist's waiting room thumbing through year-old copies of People Magazine. (Only to learn the depressing news that the same Lindsey Lohan stories are printed every year.)

But the Kindle, Nook, and iPad were not the first portable reading devices. I bought a Rocket eBook back in 1998. It cost a staggering $499 (remember these are 1998 dollars, too), but I was so excited that I sold my first novel to a royalty-paying ebook publisher that I could not wait to embrace the future of reading. The Rocket eBook was a nice reading device, not very different from the Kindle in size and page appearance. It was much heavier, I recall. Battery size and weight have aided the new generation of ebook readers.

The various writers' groups I belonged to back in those days gave the ebook concept a collective cold shoulder. Few of those groups would grant me "published author" status--I was not allowed to join in any reindeer games--because they informed me with confidence that "Ebooks are not Real books."

That now seems like such a quaint notion, especially given the fact that ebooks have out-sold hardcovers for the last several months. What the next fifteen years will bring to my home library, I cannot even imagine...but I bet it's going to be fun. (she said, as she composed this blog on her iPad.)

The Victorian West Welcomes Richard S. Wheeler

2010-09-12T15:06:00.007-06:00

Richard S. Wheeler is the author of more than 60 published novels. He is best known for his historical novels, for which he has won five Spur Awards plus the Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement in the literature of the American West. He also writes mystery novels under the name Axel Brand.

I have had the good fortune to know Richard for nearly a decade. He graciously agreed to read and blurb my first Eden Murdoch novel, AN UNCOMMON ENEMY, before I ever met him. His generosity to his fellow authors is as big as his wonderful talent.

I want to share his thoughtful essay on the tumultuous state of publishing today and why he feels the current and coming changes will benefit that industry and all those involved in it.

A Rosy Future by Richard S. Wheeler

Available now on Amazon.com

The more I consider the future of American publishing, the more delighted I am. American publishers are gradually getting rid of various problems that have been the bane of their existence, and also evolving new channels to sell their product.

Their real product is intellectual property, not physical books. Printed books are only one of several media by which intellectual property can be transmitted and sold to customers. The onslaught of the digitized world has great and positive implications for publishing. Books can now be delivered weightlessly in a variety of digital and audio formats, all tailored to each customer's preference.

Technology is swiftly eroding the return system that has afflicted American publishers, but not those in other nations, since the 1930s. Ebooks and POD books are not returnable. Consignment distribution has meant that huge parasitic chains, like BN, have been able to stock their entire stores at minimal cost; the actual burden has been on the publishers, with BN delaying payment for its merchandise more or less indefinitely, at enormous cost to publishers, simply by returning books and using the credit to order new ones.

The transportation costs of moving books are enormous. Paper is heavy. The return system operates at high cost. All those heavy books have to be shipped, examined, warehoused, and resold or remaindered. And the accounting will be greatly simplified. Books delivered electronically are not only weightless, they are not subject to return, and that will be true of audio delivery as well. The enormous cost of hauling paper around, and warehousing paper, will be greatly diminished.

Another prospect is local printing in local bookstores, which also mitigates transportation costs. Customers can have the title of their choice manufactured in a few minutes, in cozy stores that feature display copies and covers more than actual titles, and trucking companies, UPS, the postal service, or FedEx won't get a nickel out of it, apart from delivering supplies to local stores.

Authors will benefit not only from higher royalties but also because the traditional reserve against returns will no longer be necessary in some cases, and authors will be paid promptly instead of having to wait several years. Publishers will be able to produce small editions profitably, which could revive mid-list titles and specialized editions. And that means that many fine authors, currently shut out of commercial publishing, could be profitably published.

Existing accounting is so complex that it eats deeply into publishers' budgets, but the elimination of consignment distribution will radically reduce accounting costs, and simplify royalties.

I am not worried about the collapse of the chains. That will not sink publishers, and will, after some initial difficulty, result in a far more rational and economic system of selling publishers' intellectual property in all forms. The chains are parasitic, burdening publishers with the cost of stocking those huge stores, and the publishers are well rid of them.

The industry is suddenly going light: much of that heavy paper, many of those semis full of books, most of those burdensome warehouses, most of the cost of packaging, including cover and jacket design, will disappear. Press a few buttons and an audio book will be transmitted to your personal listening device, including your computer. No more CDs to make and sell and mail.

There may be some chaos as the chains collapse, but the future of American publishing is as rosy as it gets.

[Reprinted from A Curmudgeon's Diary with permission.]

A beautiful bookstore; a day spent among friends...plus Absinthe!

2010-09-05T06:57:00.002-06:00

On Saturday, September 4th, the Kansas City chapter of Sisters in Crime and the I Love A Mystery Bookstore hosted an Absinthe Party to celebrate the paperback release of The Second Glass of Absinthe.

I hope all in attendance had as much fun as I did. In addition to showing some of the absinthe-inspired works of art created by Manet, Van Gogh, Degas, and Picasso, I demonstrated the absinthe ritual and handed out little samples of the Green Muse to anyone curious about whether the fabled libation might enhance their creativity (as those 19th Century artists and poets claimed).

The New Life of AN UNCOMMON ENEMY

2010-09-01T08:55:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago, I re-published my 2001 novel, AN UNCOMMON ENEMY. Originally published (and nearly forgotten) in the tragic week following September 11^th, I believed the story deserved a second chance. The moral and political controversies raised after Custer’s attack on a peaceful Cheyenne camp on the Washita in 1868 were not so different from the questions faced by America in the wake of 9/11. I felt the issues posed still resonate, so I hoped the book might somehow find a new readership.

I never imagined what would take place last Thursday night.

Kindle Nation, a blog for Kindle users, favorably reviewed the novel and posted its first chapter online. Within hours, the Amazon sales ranking jumped from #124,000th to #127th in the Kindle store. By the next morning, AN UNCOMMON ENEMY was the #1 Western novel across ALL formats on Amazon, paper or pixel. Number One! The raw power of a single very influential blog to move an otherwise forgotten novel in this totally-new publishing landscape is striking.

I also learned another lesson. Bookstores--and the publishing industry itself--tend to force all books into narrow genres and all readers down narrow aisles. Bloggers need not follow such dictates or conventions, and can allow their readers to self-sort their book selections without restriction. The Kindle Nation blog, for instance, is ecumenically focused on all Kindle readers, regardless of book genre. Think of the effect this had on my sales when Stephen Windwalker, of Kindle Nation, summed my book up this way:

"If it weren't for my efforts to be genre-agnostic, I probably would not have gotten hooked on this novel. But the fact is that it can't be pigeon-holed in a genre; it's just a great story, well told, with totally unexpected, astonishingly well-imagined characters."

Kindle readers, who might never walk down the Western aisle of a Barnes and Noble, or read a western-themed magazine reviewing books of interest, were instantly exposed to my cross-genre novel. (Which is more a general “historical novel” than a true “Western.”) For a brief moment, it did not have to compete for their attention with 120,000 other volumes lining the shelves and capping the ends of any bookstore.

Bottom line: AN UNCOMMON ENEMY found an uncommon friend, for which I am very grateful.

Séance in Sepia

2010-08-26T08:06:00.000-06:00

I have a new novel to announce: Séance in Sepia is scheduled to be published in hard cover by Five Star Mysteries in October 2011.

The story begins in the present day when a woman buys an antique "spirit photograph" at an estate sale. She doesn't know anything about spirit photography--all the rage in Victorian America--but when she puts the picture up for auction on Ebay and the bidding soars over a thousand dollars, she realizes she must find out more.

She soon learns that the three people pictured in the photo were the focus of a notorious murder case that rocked Chicago in 1875. I will share more in the coming months but know that the working subtitle has always been: Victoria Woodhull and the Free Love Murders.

On the airwaves

2010-08-19T08:36:00.001-06:00

I had the enjoyable privilege yesterday to meet with two wonderful Kansas City-based mystery authors, Nancy Pickard and Joel Goldman. The three of us were interviewed on our local public radio station, KCUR, by Steve Kraske.
We spent the hour discussing the craft of mystery writing.
The show is now available as an mp3 stream on the station's website --click here: KCUR.

If you haven't read it yet, Nancy's bestselling new book, The Scent of Rain and Lightning, is a stunner. As she did in The Virgin of Small Plains, Nancy evocatively captures the essence of rural prairie life in modern-day Kansas and the raw emotions that echo down the decades after a single night of terrifying violence. Here is her website: http://www.nancypickard.com/

Joel's new book, No Way Out, will be in bookstores in just a few weeks. This is the third installment in his exciting Jack Davis series. Read more about it and check out a fantastic book trailer on his website:
http://www.joelgoldman.com/

Happy Pub Day

2010-08-03T08:59:00.002-06:00

Today is the official publication day of the paperback version of "The Second Glass of Absinthe," but I am also excited to announce that the first Eden Murdoch novel, "An Uncommon Enemy," is also debuting this week as a Kindle edition.
Buy it here for just $2.99.
You can read the first chapter on my website.

I have often been asked whether the character of Eden Murdoch was a real person, given that many characters in the novel did exist--Custer, Sheridan, Black Kettle.

The answer is technically, no, she is a fictional creation, but she was inspired by two separate events. Custer mentioned in his field report, filed the morning after the battle, that they found the body of a white woman in Black Kettle's camp. He did not identify her and never mentioned her again, though he wrote extensively of the Washita Battle in later years.

The identity of this mystery woman has never been solved by scholars, but it must be assumed that it was not the body of another white captive, Clara Blinn, who was found a week later in another location. Despite this lack of documentation, General Sherman, Sheridan's superior, used it as conclusive proof that Custer struck a hostile camp, when he testified before Congress on the matter.
My novel poses the question, what if that woman had been found alive, and what if she did not tell the story the Army longed for her to tell? What if she instead gave an articulate report of the battle from the Cheyenne point of view?
Eden's character was inspired by the story of another white captive, Cynthia Ann Parker, a woman "captured twice," as Eden was. Parker was captured by the Comanches, lived among them, married into the tribe, and lived there for more than two decades before being "recaptured" by the Army and forced to return to white civilization against her will. She was never able to see her children again, one of whom grew up to be the great Comanche chief, Quannah Parker.

We're Going to Party Like It's 1899!

2010-07-02T08:37:00.001-06:00

A date has just been set for an Absinthe Party to celebrate the paperback release of THE SECOND GLASS OF ABSINTHE.

The setting will be the beautiful I LOVE A MYSTERY BOOKSTORE in Mission, Kansas. If you are a book lover, no visit to Kansas City would be complete without a stop--nay, a pilgrimage--to this wonderful store. Styled like a Victorian library "with a twist," this shop reminds us all how delightful and special an independent bookstore can be. Biblio-heaven!

On September 4, 2010, at 11:00am, the local chapter of Sisters in Crime will allow your humble author to hold forth on the mystical history of absinthe and demonstrate the absinthe drinking ritual. Everyone (over 21, that is) will be given the opportunity to sample the fabled libation. Now some might suggest that 11a.m. is a tad early in the day to be imbibing this highly alcoholic beverage, but in the immortal words of Jimmy Buffett, "It's five o'clock somewhere," right?

And just what is involved in the Absinthe Ritual? My character, Kit Randall, describes his version in the opening pages of "SECOND GLASS":

"His thoughts returned to that bizarre absinthe dream. Why did it refuse to leave him? What had really happened here last night? In his only solid memory he had "watched the clouds come out." That was his euphemism for gazing at the slow, tantalizing process by which one prepares to drink the liqueur the French called la fée verte, the Green Fairy.

The light emerald liquid was dripped through sugar cubes that sat perched atop a slotted spoon. Icy water was then added which rendered a spectacular transformation. The clear green absinthe blossomed into a milky opalescence and was ready to sip.

He recalled settling back deep into the sea of sofa cushions in Lucinda's bohemian-inspired second parlor and staring up at the famous Eye Dazzler rug hanging on the wall. He loved to watch the bright zig-zagging pattern come alive. A thousand triangles danced before his eyes in a carefully terraced lockstep, vibrating red black white, red white black, hypnotizing him as it always did."

Absinthe spoons will be given as door prizes, so come indulge in delicious decadence and mysterious camraderie! We're going to party like it's 1899!

Tale of Two Covers

2010-04-02T09:05:00.001-06:00

This coming August, my publisher, Macmillan, will release my historical mystery novel, THE SECOND GLASS OF ABSINTHE, in paperback. The cover design is markedly different between the original hardcover and the new, mass market paperback. In different ways, I like them both.

The older version, shown at left, is special in that it incorporated important elements of the novel. The painting of the woman holding the parrot is a real painting described in the book, only incorporated into the story in a fictional way. The painting is supposed to represent a portrait of the widowed heiress, Lucinda Ridenour, owner of the Eye Dazzler mine.

The absinthe bottle is colored too darkly emerald green to be “real” absinthe, which is a lighter, almost peridot, but, in the cover designer’s defense, absinthe was still illegal in the United States when the first cover was designed, so perhaps the artist did not know what real absinthe looked like. A forgivable mistake.

The “label” on the bottle shows a contemporary illustration of the town of Leadville, Colorado, the setting of the novel. This picture first appeared in Frank Leslie‘s Illustrated News in 1879, the year before the time of the novel, but clearly showing the “city in the clouds” at its busy, raucous best, which the novels details in some length.

The new cover also highlights the absinthe theme, but this time using an absinthe glass with a spoon and lump of sugar as its centerpiece. The color of the absinthe filling the glass is more accurately represented this time around, but absinthe has since been legalized and available at most larger liquor stores in the

U.S.

The background again highlights a beautiful, sexy woman, who looks like trouble (that is, I am assuming the artist intended this woman to be Lucinda, rather than the novel’s amateur sleuth, Eden Murdoch, who has an exotic past of her own--detailed in the two prior novels, AN UNCOMMON ENEMY and ABSINTHE’s prequel, SOLOMON SPRING--but has never aspired to become a femme fatale.)

Which is my favorite? I love them both. The cover art is considered to be a major element in the marketing of the book, so I guess the most successful cover is one that entices the most potential readers to try the book. Only time will tell...

Owning a Mountain Bookstore--Part Three

2010-03-22T14:46:00.000-06:00

After that heady and hectic first summer, the realities of owning a retail business in a resort town soon became apparent. Autumn delivered golden aspen leaves, but empty streets. Winter was not much better for business. Though the county was filled with ski tourism, skiers don’t read much. Occasionally a non-skiing spouse might wander into the store, bored and looking for reading material to pass the time until après-ski revelry commenced, but overall sales just barely paid the rent.

And then came the deadliest mountain retail period of all: Mud Season. Late Spring delivers sloppy streets and still-chilly, but longer days. The lonely counter time was not entirely a waste. I was able to continue work on the novel that would eventually become “An Uncommon Enemy.”

Finally, Memorial Day came round again. Halleluiah! All the frustrations and confusions of the previous nine months melted along with those last snow drifts. Summer at 9,000 feet...there’s nothing quite like it.

Owning a Mountain Bookstore--Part Two

2010-03-19T07:57:00.001-06:00

On my birthday in May of 1997, I officially opened Wolf Moon Books. I offered friends and customers a slice of cake, which had been decorated to look like my logo. I included in the shop decor pieces of furniture from my house. Most were golden oak reproductions of turn of the century styles that complimented age of the building housing the shop, which dated to the early years of the 20^th Century.

The shop felt like an extension of my own home--imagine a home library filled with over 5,000 volumes. Of course the bulk of the inventory had to be slanted to fit the tastes of my customers, not my personal selections, but I loved stocking up on books written by friends of mine, whether they were big sellers or not.

During that first year in business, I was my only employee. The summers were the busiest times, with tourists filling Main Street and Frisco hosting one festival after another to amuse them. Ride the Rockies, Music on Main Street, the Frisco Barbeque Challenge, Fourth of July parades...life was a nonstop party.

Witnessing the enthusiasm of the visitors gave me a whole new appreciation of the beautiful area that was my home. That was an unexpected gift. Through their excited eyes I re-experienced my own wonder at life in the Colorado high country.

During that first summer, I slowly began to learn the ins and outs of retail shop ownership, with many lessons learned the hard way. But life is a highway, right?

TO BE CONTINUED

Owning a Mountain Bookstore--Part One

2010-03-15T10:11:00.001-06:00

Every booklover I know has dreamed of owning a bookstore at one time or another. I was no exception and had the privilege of realizing that dream in 1997 when I purchased “Frisco Books” from its owner, Peter Brindemore.

I had met Peter the year before when he hosted my first-ever booksigning for the novel, Never Come Down, a romantic mystery set in a remote mountain area not unlike the Summit County, Colorado, environs where we lived.

Frisco is a tiny gem of a town situated between the northern end of the Ten Mile Range and the western shore of Lake Dillon. At 9,100 feet in altitude, snow covers the ground seven months of the year. Four ski resorts lie within a fifteen minute drive of Frisco and ski tourism supplies most of Frisco’s commerce. My family had been spending our summers there since 1988 and by 1993, we moved to the high country fulltime.

Prior to that, I had been working as an attorney for the Small Business Administration. Each day I dealt with would-be entrepreneurs who were actively realizing their dreams of self-employment. Their enthusiasm was inspiring--and contagious. It left me with a longing to own my own business. When Peter mentioned he was putting “Frisco Books” up for sale, I jumped at the opportunity. The store was situated on Main Street, just three blocks from my house. I could walk to work--another dream fulfilled.

The sale was completed in April of 1997. I closed the store for two weeks to redecorate a bit, making numerous small changes to personalize it. I renamed the shop “Wolf Moon Books.” In folklore, the full moon of January is the “wolf moon.” I love the iconography associated with wolves since my beloved Siberian Husky, Knik, resembled a wolf, so I designed a logo from a photo taken of Knik and ordered the sign maker to create a carved wooden replica of this logo to hang over the shop door.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Living Steampunk

2010-03-11T10:03:00.007-07:00

What is a Steampunk lifestyle? What is Steampunk generally? Not really an easy question to answer. Brass Goggles begins the discussion with the statement:
“Steampunk is a genre of fiction set somewhere in the 1800’s during the Victorian Era. The fictional part comes in that technology has gone a bit skewed – though the exact methods vary, generally steam-powered devices that would have been impossible or unfeasible at the time are found to exist.”

A good starting place, but I would hazard to add: all that and so much more. Steampunk has blossomed into a full-throttle aesthetic movement bringing a Victorian design sensibility into everyday objects and fashions and now even has its own musical genre.

Pictured here is my new house in Boulder County, Colorado. It is situated in a community of new houses built with Victorian or early 20th-century Arts and Crafts antecedents. In short, it is a neighborhood either caught in a time warp or presciently proto-Steampunk.

Where do Steampunks congregate to share their love of this (probably baffling to outsiders) love of all things neo-Victorian? Gatherings are occurring all over the map. Last October, your intrepid author and her ever-reliable and adventurous spouse, spent an enjoyable weekend in Seattle at the inaugural Steamcon convention, an event set to return November 19-21, 2010.

The big question for an author of fiction: are my novels Steampunk? Only the most recent, The Second Glass of Absinthe, would technically fall near that definition. It is a Victorian mystery novel that plays with elements of the Victorian occult, but given its lack of more pronounced urban fantasy elements, I would have to say that is does not qualify unless the constantly evolving definitions of this genre were expanded.

My current work-in-progress, however, may come closer to the mark. It, too, is a mystery set in 1875, but its primary theme--spirit photography--represents the ultimate nexus of the twin Victorian obsession: technology and the occult.

To be continued...

The Second Glass of Absinthe Returns

2010-03-10T11:47:00.000-07:00

My third Eden Murdoch novel is being released in paperback this coming August. And with a brand new cover!

Since Absinthe plays a role in the story--set in 1880 Leadville, Colorado, I am often asked how I became interested in it.

I first learned of it a long time ago while reading a biography of Oscar Wilde. It was said to be his favorite libation and that he was particularly fond of the ritual that went with drinking it. I enjoyed one of his quotes on absinthe so much I based my title (and, in some ways, the story itself) on it:

"After the first glass [of absinthe] you see things as you wish they were. After the second, you see things as they are not. Finally, you see things as they really are, and that is the most horrible thing in the world."

Absinthe was popular among the artists and writers of the 19th Century and is particularly associated with the Belle Epoch café society in Paris. Its legendary fans included Degas, Van Gogh, Rimbaud, Verlaine, Picasso, and of course, Wilde.

Hemingway also drank absinthe. My favorite quote from him is, "Got tight last night on absinthe. Did knife tricks."

The Absinthe Drinking Ritual

The herbal ingredient called wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is very bitter, so the liqueur needed sweetening in order to be palatable. Sugar does not readily mix with alcohol, so the absinthe ritual was born.

A sugar cube was placed on a slotted spoon over the glass containing a shot of clear peridot green absinthe. When icy water was drizzled through the sugar to melt it, it begins to "louche." That is, the clear liqueur becomes cloudy and palest jade in color. This signals it is ready to drink. My main character in the book calls this ritual "watching the clouds come out."