Some of my favorite “easter eggs” to sprinkle throughout the Spokane Clock Tower Mysteries are the references to events I found while reading through The Spokesman-Review for the days I’ve set the stories. At the end of one particular day in Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker, Marian Kenyon sits back and flips through the April 16, …
It’s time! I am so excited to reveal to you all the cover for the second book in the Spokane Clock Tower Mysteries, Cupboards All Bared! “Murder, con games, and assassination in 1901 Washington state with the President’s life on the line. Ms. Meredith writes another taut and tightly plotted thriller in the Spokane Clock Tower series, one not …
“You can either run from it or learn from it.” Rafiki in The Lion King History is a tricky beast. Some say we should just forget it, hakuna matata, and all that. Others say that if we simply ignore it, we’ll never learn from it. As an historical fiction author, I land firmly in that …
When writing Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker, I knew I had to take my characters to Manito Park, but it wasn’t until I began researching that I learned that the park known today as “Manito Park” was originally named “Montrose Park.” Francis Cook, the owner of the land, named it “Montrose” because of the wide variety …
I had the extreme honor of joining Jayne De Sales for an interview on her marvelous podcast, Tales with De Sales. This is a podcast “exploring fiction that cultivates the good, the true, and the beautiful.” We talked about Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker, historical fiction, living in Spokane, and why history itself is so important. …
What’s cooler than having the author join you for your discussion?! I had the extreme honor recently of attending a local Spokane book club and joining their discussion of my historical mystery, Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker! We had so much fun! I brought several of the books I used for research and we passed those …
Join me as I try out Christmas recipes circa 1900! This third recipe is for Christmas Cookies from a personal notebook belonging to my great-great-great-grandmother. It’s also vegan—no eggs or butter! Christmas Cookies 3/4 c honey 1/2 c sugar 3 1/4 c flour 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/4 …
Join me as I try out Christmas recipes circa 1900! This second recipe is for Delicate Cake from an 1890 cookbook. Delicate Cake 3 cups flour 2 cups sugar 3/4 c sweet milk (evaporated or whole milk) 6 egg whites 1/2 c butter 1 tsp cream of tartar 1/2 tsp baking soda ~1 tsp lemon …
Join me as I try out Christmas recipes circa 1900! This first recipe is for Soft Gingerbread from a cookbook published by Pillsbury in 1905. Soft Gingerbread 3/4 c molasses 1 c brown sugar 1/2 c butter 1 c sour milk (buttermilk) 3 eggs 3 c flour 1 Tbsp ginger 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp …
One of the best resources I discovered for describing life in Spokane in 1901 was the Dear Mother collection of letters. Marinus Crommelin of Amsterdam wrote home during his visit to Spokane 1901-1902. His letters were compiled and translated by a relative into Dear Mother. This week I wanted to highlight some of Marinus’s impressions …
