I LOVE when mystery novels set in a past era try to stick as closely as possible to true history. It gives me goosebumps to discover that what I’m reading is inspired by actual events and is not too far from the way things really were, especially when it’s difficult to believe people really did/thought/believed that back then. What I’ve found is there’s really nothing new under the sun, only the same, but different.
The biggest question I get is not about my new historical mystery, Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker, but about how I dress! Find out why I love to dress in my 1901 ensembles in this short video. As I mention in the video, all of my costumes are purchased from Recollections. I am not affiliated with …
The Spokesman-Review and The Chronicle were the main newspapers of 1901 Spokane. Both were owned by William H. Cowles by 1901, who moved them all into the Review Building, which can still be visited today. As I may have mentioned before, I love traveling down the rabbit holes of researching history, and the best place …
And how it inspired the Spokane Clock Tower Mysteries. It all began with a door. On my first tour of the Campbell House, back in 2017, the docent pointed out this simplistic door, saying it was a wood chute for the groundskeeper. He would chop wood or have it ordered in, and then deliver the …
Below I’ve collected a series of clipped newspaper articles referencing the timeline of the building of the Great Northern Railroad Depot and its iconic clock tower, which heavily influenced the events that unfold in the Spokane Clock Tower Mysteries, beginning with the first book, Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker. The clock tower is the basis for …
In my historical mystery series, the Spokane Clock Tower Mysteries, we are transported to 1901 Spokane. In addition to including cameos by many real-life people from history, I wanted to make sure I included locations that were still in existence and could be visited by those who enjoyed the story and wanted to know more. …
My historical mystery Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker is the first in a series of murder mysteries set in Spokane in 1901. Archie Prescot has traveled across the country to Spokane, Washington to design the clock tower for the new Great Northern Railroad depot. When his talent for creating unique clock chimes connects him with a …
Over the past two weeks, I’ve shared some of the cooking and cleaning quotes from 19th century cookbooks that inspired my book, Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker, and in particular the characters of Mrs. Curry (cook) and Eleanor Sigmund (maid). But cookbooks of the time didn’t contain just cooking and cleaning tips. They also included home …
Last week I shared some cooking quotes from 19th century cookbooks that inspired my book, Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker, in particular the menus cooked by Mrs. Curry. This week I’d like to share some of the cleaning tips I gleaned through my research, many of which I incorporated into the daily duties of my maid …
While writing Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker, I had such great fun finding ways to incorporate some of the many, many 19th century cookbooks I came across along the way! From Eleanor’s cleaning skills to Mrs. Curry’s menus and cooking tips, all were inspired by or taken from cookbooks of the time period. Over the next …
As an historical mystery author, when it came to picking my “author outfit” I knew immediately I wanted to dress like my characters. Not only is this beneficial for research—is a corset really uncomfortable?—but it gives me the confidence I need as an introvert to go out there and talk about my books. 😉 For …
