I’m Blogging at Romancing Yesteryear: Beginnings and Rebirths!

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Author, Beginnings, books, Crocus, Endings, Fall, Happy endings, historical author, Katherine Bone, Life, Middles, Nelson's Tea, Rebirth, Romancing Yesteryear, Seasons, snowdrops, Spring, starting over, summer, Winter

Posted on February 22, 2018 posted by barbarabettis1

Photo by Sharon Talson

Every day is a new day –
a day for new beginnings, new dreams, new action –
a day for challenge, adventure, and discovery.
TODAY, what is your goal?
What is your dream?
What action are you taking to further your goals and dreams?
– Jonathan Lockwood Huie

I’m looking forward to 2018 because 2017 was a major struggle. I started battling personal issues; chief among them reintroduced neck problems. My doctor, who is awesome by the way, believes in preventative medicine. A let’s do everything we can to take care of this problem, saving surgery as a last option, type of physician. I’ve had two neck surgeries to replace discs in my C 5-7. So when I started experiencing pain in my neck again last March, I kind of suspected the direction my health was going to take in 2017. Unfortunately, I was right.

Check out the rest of my personal story at Romancing Yesteryear.

#Holiday Romance and #Recipe Exchange ~ Linda McLaughlin’s Cranberry – Blueberry Delight!

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#Holiday Romance, #Recipe Exchange, Blueberry, Cranberry, Cranberry-Blueberry Delight, gambler, Gambling, historical, Historical authors, Historical romance, Lily and the Gambler, Linda McLaughlin, mining, romance, Salad, San Francisco, Tina Gayle

Author Tina Gayle has put together another FABulous Blog Exchange for the holidays. Woo-hoo!!! This one is a recipe exchange. (Yeeaauuss! That’s tasty treasure for them what knows!)

The holidays, no matter how you celebrate (with rum or without) are a great time for trying new recipes or pulling out old ones from your treasure chest to share with family and friends. And throughout December, I’m super jazzed to say I’ll be hosting many authors here and sharing their FAVorite foods with you!

Today, I’d like to give a warm welcome to Author Linda McLaughlin. Lady Linda has brought along a scrumptious cranberry-blueberry salad recipe for us. Huzzah and Hoorah!!!

Take it away, Linda!

#TalkLikeaPirateDay Diction Addiction!

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adventure, books, George Choundas, history, International Talk Like a Pirate Day, language, Piracy, pirates, rakes, rebels, rogues, rum, speak, Talk Like a Pirate Day, The Pirate Primer

HARRk! Come near! Come ye from afARR! Today is the day pirates use their vocabulARR! If ye be confused or wary, fear not. A list to aid you, is what I’ve got. Now limber your tongue and prepARRe to talk. You must learn the way, if you walk the walk. But take heed, I say to what you learn. It’s a diction addiction that might make you turn… pirate.

Posset to Syllabub to Egg Nog ~ Sharon Lathan’s Christmas Food!

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beverage, custard, drink, egg nog, food, Historical romance, posset, regency, romance, Sharon Lathan, syllabub, wine

Sharing Sharon Lathan’s great post! ~ Posset to Syllabub to Egg Nog

DECEMBER 8, 2015

In the Middle Ages, posset was a warm dish served to invalids and those suffering from a fever or cold. Milk was heated and then curdled by adding spiced wine, spirits, or ale. Egg yolks might be added as a thickener or to create a smooth thin custard-like drink. During the 18th and 19th centuries, lemons and oranges were used as part of the flavoring and/or for their acidic juices to aid the curdling. Sack posset made with Spanish fortified sherry-style wine was particularly popular in the 15th and 16th centuries. By the mid-18th century posset tended to be thickened with ground almonds, crushed biscuits, or egg yolks instead of alcohol.

Posset consistency, while thick, remained drinkable. For example, in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth slips poison into the possets of the guards outside Duncan’s quarters so they wouldn’t get in her murderous way, the beverage drank by the guards. Possets left sitting or allowed to cool would separate, creating a dessert layer of sweet gruel floating above the liquid. Posset pots, made of ceramic or metal, were specifically designed for the job: the spout allowing the liquid part to be poured and the thick layer eaten with a spoon.

Posset Pot, Nottingham Salt-glazed stoneware, 1700

Posset pot, 1660-1730

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To enjoy Lady Sharon’s complete post, visit her Happily Ever After Comes True blog.

Author Sharon Lathan Does it Again! ~ Mincemeat Pies, a Regency Dinner Must!

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beef, Christmas, culinary, Dinner, elegance, goose, Happily Ever After Comes True, Historical romance, mincemeat, pheasant, regency, Regency Romance, romance, Sharon Lathan, venison

Mincemeat Pies ~ a Regency dinner must-have

DECEMBER 3, 2015

A Regency Era Christmas centered on food and dining with family, much as is does today. For the dinner entrée cook would include goose, pheasant, venison, or a beef haunch. Turkeys were served but not as the main meat focal point. If fortunate they would snag a boar’s head with fresh rosemary and basil adorning his head and apple in his mouth placed a silver platter.

Accompanying a Regency Christmas meal must be a mincemeat pie.

Mincing up meat and placing the bits into stews or pies is as old as time, primarily as an economical way to use the leftovers. The Christmas pie (mincemeat pie) originated with the Crusaders in the 11th Century. The spices brought back to England – cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg – were symbolic of the Magi gifts to the Christ child. In honor of His birth, the pies of sweetly spiced meats were baked into small oblong shaped pastries indicative of a cradle. Now, to be fair, there are some who refute this story. However, there are far more references stating this as the origination. Whatever the case, these pies have always been associated with Christmas and the Epiphany, and it is still considered lucky to eat one on each of the 12 days of Christmas. They were often called “wayfarer pies” because they were given to holiday travelers or as gifts while visiting.

Edward Kidder’s recipe in Pastry and Cookery of c.1720.

Read the rest, including a recipe, at Sharon Lathan’s Happily Ever After Comes True.

From Sharon Lathan: Christmas Food ~ Stuffed Fowl!

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19 Century, birds, Christmas, duck, geese, guinea fowl, Historical romance, peacocks, regency, romance, Sharon Lathan, stuffed fowl, swans, turkey

Birds for Christmas Dinner

DECEMBER 1, 2015

Food historians tell us the practice of serving large, stuffed fowl for Christmas, like many other Christian holiday food traditions, was borrowed from earlier cultural practices. Peacocks, swans, geese, duck, guinea fowl, and turkeys all fit this bill in times past. The larger the bird, the more festive the presence. “New World” turkeys were introduced to Europe in the 16th century. For many years, these “exotic” turkey birds only graced the tables of the wealthy. In America, turkey (wild and plentiful) was a natural choice for the Christmas feast. Historic newspapers reveal the goose still commanded a traditional place on the Christmas table through the 19th century.

“Apart from the wild and tame fowl for everyday consumption, there were a few which were outstanding as celebratory birds for feasts and festivals. These were swans and peacocks among the rich, and herons and bustards for those less well off. The peacock made a fine show on a festive occasion… More usual than peacocks at feasts of the nobility were swans. The Percy Family [Medieval England] at them on the principal festivals of the church at the rate of five for Christmas Day, four for Twelfth Night, three for New Year’s Day… The family consumed an enormous range of both moor and waterfowl during the year, but the swans were appointed for those special days. Swan was roasted like goose, and served with chawdron sauce…”
~Food & Drink in Britain: From the Stone Age to the 19th Century, C. Anne Wilson, 1991

Read the rest of Sharon Lathan’s FABulous post at  Happily Ever After Comes True Blog

Congrats to the Winner of Alienne Mine!!!

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Alienne Mine, Anthology, Deborah O'Neill Cordes, giveaway, nominee, Once Upon a True Love's Kiss, Readers' Choice Awards, The Romance Reviews, voting, Winter

Congratulations to Lady Liette for winning an ecopy of Deborah O’Neill Cordes’ latest release Alienne Mine!!! Huzzah and Hoorah!!!

My apologies for not announcing Lady Deborah’s winner sooner, Lady Liette. I got caught up in a very tight editing schedule and didn’t realize I’d let this slip. Guess you could say, it’s keelhaulin’ time for me, eh? I’ll settle for a a jug of rum… LOL!!!

Why rum, you ask? I just got the greatest news, me hearties! Two of my books have been sent to the final round in The Romance Reviews Readers’ Choice Awards ~ Winter 2015!!! This is a first time my books have finaled in a contest. I’m on cloud nine! Woot!!!

Katherine’s Podcast Interview at Indy Film Wisconsin’s Writer Wednesday!

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authors, books, eskape press, EsKape Press Publishing, Historical romance, history, Indy Film, interviews, Pirate Wayne, pirates, podcast, treasure, Wisconsin, Writer Wednesday, writers, writing, writing process

Just back from a wonderful beach vacation at Gulf Shores, AL! I adore it when my family can all get together. Only two things could have made our vacation better, my oldest son and his crew being able to join us from Japan and a bit more sunshine. (Out of a week of overcast skies, we only had two good days of sun. Boo!) But I’m not complaining. No. Just being together made all the difference.

Adding further enjoyment, there were no undead monkey sightings. Woot!!!

I’ll post some pictures in the coming days.

In the meantime, I’m extremely honored to announce I was a featured guest on Wayne Clingman’s podcast show Indy Film Wisconsin Writer Wednesday today. Yeeaauuss!!! Thank you, Pirate Wayne, for being such an awesome host!

If you’re interested in my take on writing, why I write historical romance, and my thoughts about the process, you can find my podcast at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/icflm/2015/06/03/katherine-bone-pirate-and-writer

Until next time, I wish you fair skies and glorious adventures!

Blessings,

Katherine

 

Brain Boosters for Writers!

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books, Charles Tesla, Chuck Wendig, Cozumel, James Scott Bell, Kristen James, Monica Leonelle, pirates, research, writing

I’ve been doing a lot of pondering lately about my life and how much time I spend at the computer or writing in one of my book bibles. So many stories to write, so little time seems to be my mantra these days. Black Sails just ended. (Major bummer! Shout out #BlkSailsBrethren!) Outlander is back on. (Yeeaauuss!) I’ve discovered the new Daredevil series on Netflix. (OMG!!! So addictive!) I’ve got several DVDs on sailing ships, the Captain Horatio Hornblower Series with Ioan Gruffald (Swoon!) and several others to watch. Bitten is back!!! (Love Clay!) Penny Dreadful is returning. (Who doesn’t want to find out more about Josh Hartnet’s character?) And of course, there are several great shows I like to watch on t.v. It’s so hard to stay focused, especially with so many media outlets vying to capture my attention online and off. I love it all!

Captain’s Log Returns!

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adventures, anniversary, captains, celebrate, eskape press, Jack Sparrow, Nelson, Nelson's Tea, pirates, rum, summer

Holy Cat-o-Nines! It’s been a long time since I’ve written in my Captain’s Log!

Life has taken me on so many adventures this summer, me hearties. RT in May, which I plan to continue blogging about, Handsome Son #2 home on leave from Alaska for 3 weeks, Darling Daughter #1 moving in with her 20 month old son after a very difficult divorce, traveling to Nebraska for 8 days to visit Handsome Son #1 and his family, and finally my rogue’s surgery not a few weeks ago.

In between, I’ve been doing edits on THE ROGUE’S PRIZE, getting it ready for relaunch. Not to mention, finishing up MY LADY ROGUE so I can send it in to my editor. I’ve also been told that ROMANCING THE JEWEL, formally titled Lost Treasure, Captive Princess, is with an editor now. Yeeaauuss! Busy days ahead! ARRRgh! Wouldn’t have it any other way. 😉

Lately, I’ve hardly met myself coming and going. It’s beginning to take a toll. So prior to doctoring rogue during his 30 day rest after surgery, I made a life-altering decision. I’m leaving my day job to write full-time. Woot!!!

Pull out a rum cask, Jack! It’s time to celebrate!!!

“Since when do we need a reason, lass?”

Good point. *winks as Jack shoots a gold-toothed grin*

Yes, that means more time to write all these wonderful adventures clamoring to be told. And lollapalooza, I’ve got to work fast. There are too many characters talking in my head as it is. 😉

Meanwhile, I’ve been part of some amazing contests and had tons of fun! But summer’s not over yet and there’s still more adventure to be had. esKape Press celebrates its one year Anniversary in September. So hang around like a barnacle and make yourself at home. Great ports to be made!

Blessings,

Katherine