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, …
Wondering what to make for Easter dinner next weekend? I’ve got an incredible, super simple, unique recipe for you! In the second book in the Spokane Clock Tower Mysteries, Cupboards All Bared, Roslyn Carew is desperately trying to find a new cook to satiate her husband and brother-in-law’s never-ending appetites. One of the cooks that …
“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 …
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 …
Author Patricia Meredith shares a little about the historical research that went into writing the Spokane Clock Tower Mysteries. The first book, Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker, a new historical mystery, is available everywhere books are sold in whatever format you prefer! For a complete list of newspaper clippings outlining the building of the Spokane clock tower, …
