Count of the Sahara – Page 3

Jacqueline Beard and a Suffragette Murder Mystery

Sometimes it’s hard to believe that our great grandmothers had to fight for the right to vote, and that meant fight. Those Suffragettes were some bad-ass women, and God bless’em for it. British author Jacqueline Beard has written a novel that captures the tension of that time, and combines it with a murder mystery to paint a picture of the beginning and end of the Victorian age.

So what’s the Jacqueline Beard story?

Jacqueline Beard, author of Vote for Murder

I’m a writer and genealogist, and have traced my family back to 1517 in the county of Suffolk in England. I now live in the beautiful Cotswolds in Gloucestershire but visit Suffolk often. I am married with two children and a delinquent border terrier.

So give us a quick idea of what your book’s about.

Vote for Murder is a tale of two murders. A census night evasion has been planned in Ipswich following years of fruitless campaigning which left the suffragettes no closer to gaining the vote. When Louisa Russell finds an old diary, it leads to revelations about a Victorian Suffolk murderess. Louisa finds herself involved in suffragette protests while investigating two horrific murders – and the murderer is getting too close for comfort.

What is it about that time frame–actually frames, since you’re going back and forth– that intrigues you?

Where to start! Victorian murderess Mary Cage appears in my own family tree. She confessed to wicked, immoral behavior but despite all the evidence against her, she always denied murdering her husband. Mary lived in abject poverty in a society where the only help for the destitute was the workhouse. I wanted to get under her skin to work out how much the poverty contributed to her depravity.

The second murder involved a family of suffragists. My genealogy also includes middle class suffragists Ada and Bessie Ridley who had close connections to Millicent Fawcett, leader of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies. I find the various factions of the suffragette movement fascinating; Millicent Fawcett’s mainly peaceful suffragists on the one hand and Emmeline Pankhurst’s militant suffragettes on the other. My book is set in 1911 when many suffragists throughout the UK hid themselves away to avoid the 1911 census. It was a peaceful protest but it wasn’t long before British suffragettes were chaining themselves to railings, performing acts of vandalism and breaking the law where they felt it necessary. Vote for murder contrasts the poverty of the 1851 murder with the relative wealth of the families in the 1911 murder. Interestingly there’s a Meryl Streep film coming out shortly called Suffragette. I will be first in the queue to see this at the cinema!

What’s your favorite scene in the book?

Vote for Murder covers two fascinating eras of British history

It’s not so much a scene, as a change of perspective. The book is written in three voices but the one I enjoyed writing the most was that of Mary Cage as she described, in her own words, the events that led her to the gallows, writing her personality to alter according to events. It was interesting to use the language and words prevalent in Victorian times and there were several colloquialisms peculiar to Suffolk that I was able to insert for authenticity. I researched real newspaper extracts of the murder and kept faithfully to the story while developing Mary’s fictional character.

Vote for Murder can be found at Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com and in paperback at Lulu.com

Jacqueline’s Blog: https://jacquelinebeardwriter.wordpress.com/

Twitter: @Jacquibwriter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VFM1851

Short Story: On the Rail

Every year, the Naperville Writers Group publishes an anthology of members’ works called “Rivulets.” This story will be in the 2015 version, “Rivulets 27,” due out October 3. You can join us for the launch party. Click here for details.

It began as a writing exercise: Could I capture everything that goes through someone’s mind during just the 2 minutes of a horse race? I leave it up to you whether I’ve succeeded. Please enjoy.

Can't imagine where the idea for a story featuring a 50-ish , slightly jaded, cigar-smoking railbird came from.... — Can’t imagine where the idea for a story featuring a 50-ish , slightly jaded, cigar-smoking railbird came from….

On the Rail

“And they’re off, and Billy’s Buddy takes the lead off the rail followed by Pleazpleazpleaz, Penzance Pirate and BarTab…”

I love to hang over the rail and lean in just so I can feel them passing by, the vibrations running through the ground, along the rail and up my arms. God I love this game.

Broke even so far but this is the race, I can feel it in my bones…. One and four. That’s the exacta. Four’s the favorite, what’s the name… oh yeah, what’s it say on the ticket, Billy’s Buddy, and he looks like chalk—only real horse in the race. Runs like a champ on the outside, with that white paint sploosh on his forehead and the jock in all blue silks and already up by a nose. Velasquez—top jockey at the track so he gets the best rides, no secret there. Best riders, best rides, should be an easy winner against these dogs. Can’t make any money with favorites though.

Let’s check the slip, one and four for the exacta. Oh, Jesus, what’s the name of that…. RoundtheHorn, and I can get a really good look at the nag because he’s all by himself at the back of the pack. COME ON ALREADY, MOVE IT. Gimme a little love here for crying out loud.

“At the quarter pole, it’s Billy’s Buddy, Perfect Pitch a length back, with Bar Tab running on the outside…”

I can’t hear the rest because the perky little cheerleader in the floppy-ass hat with the, what is that a peacock feather? It ain’t Derby Day little girl, stop screaming. “Come on Bar Tab”, Sweet Jesus H Christ on a crooked crutch what is she six years old? I swear she just called him a “horsey”. Look at her, maybe twenty one, and all her brains inside her sweater. And that hipster boyfriend of hers, what a piece of work he is, a real mook.

“And RoundtheHorn trails going into the quarter pole…”

Come on, pick it up. It’s okay, I have’m boxed. Four horse can win long as one horse comes second… doesn’t pay as much but RoundtheHorn’s fifteen to one, so that’s four fifty plus the exacta…. We hit and it’s a mortgage payment. Make a move you frickin’ nag….

Look at that little dipshit she’s with. No one under forty should smoke cigars, it makes the little frat boy SOB look like he’s wearing his daddy’s clothes. Playing grownup and thinks he looks like Sinatra in that hat. Yeah, maybe Frank Junior. Jeez, I got concert T shirts older than this punk. And daddy’s got money, sure as God made little green apples. Why else would a little hottie like that…

Come on, one horse, you’re supposed to be a stalker. ‘Course so was Ted Bundy and look how that worked out….

Oh hell, they’re behind the scoreboard, check the screen. Those little circles with the numbers on them are moving around, changing position except for one… that little green circle with the 1 on it is still behind everyone else. You’re supposed to be a closer…. Coffee’s for closers, can I get you an espresso, you stupid can of dog food? Make a move damn you!

“And off the turn, it’s Billy’s Buddy with Bar Tab two lengths back, Penzance Pirate and Perfect Pitch”

I can’t hear the announcer for that girl screaming and bouncing around. She picked him ‘cause she liked the name. Well of course she did. And she’s proud of it, too. Sure didn’t look at his PP, and who bets a grey horse? Freakin’ amateur night. Didn’t daddy teach her nothing?

This is a numbers game, it’s science, and the numbers say he likes to close so make a move, Jose, come on, let him go. Let’s see, so Four horse wins and Round the Horn can comes second if he actually makes a FREAKING MOVE BEFORE DINNER. Numbers don’t lie, he ran a hell of a final quarter last time out. I can’t read my form right now ‘cause it’s all crumpled up in my fist and I’m beating it on the railing. Yeah, that’ll make him run faster, you dumbass.

“It’s Billy’s Buddy by a length, Penzance Pirate and Bar Tab with Booboo Kitty and RoundtheHorn moving on the outside…”

Come on Four you gotta hold on. I knew that jockey let you go too fast, you shouldn’t be front running… Velasquez knows better than that. Okay but one horse is making his move come on baby, that’s it… grind it, grind it….. Come on, one and four, one and four…..

She just won’t shut up, will she? And look at the way she looks at him. She wins on that little two dollar bet of hers and he’s in for a hell of a night. Hardly fair but that’s life, right? I could win the Triple Crown three times at ninety to one and never get a chick like that. Hell, even when I was hot Sheila never gave a…..

Alright about time, he made a move. The outside’s clear. Attaboy, what’s he sitting now, third? COMEON….

“And at the last turn, it’s Billy’s Buddy, BarTab and Round the Horn, followed by Penzance Pirate and BoobooKitty”

Make a move, make a move. Four horse, what are you doing? You can’t let up for Chrissakes . I know you got something left in the tank. Hold off that gray piece of….

“It’s BarTab and Billy’s Buddy, Billy’s Buddy and Bar Tab, neck and neck with RoundtheHorn and Penzance Pirate as they near the finish line…”

Come on, one and four, four and one I don’t care just finish it. Oh honey, give it a rest, your horse hasn’t got a….

“And it’s BarTab, with Billy’s Buddy and RoundtheHorn, followed by BoobooKitty, Penzance Pirate…..”

Is there a challenge? Let there be a challenge. Course not, God hates me, always has. Why toss me a bone now? Place and Show isn’t good for a damned thing. Crap, shouldn’t litter, I’ll drop it in the basket on my way to the window.

Sweet Jesus, what’s she gonna suck his face off? Let him breathe babygirl, he might need the oxygen later. And what’d she win, like nine bucks? What would she do to him if she hit a real long shot? Kid wouldn’t live to tell the tale.

Second and third…beat by a…’cause she liked the name…. Christ, amateurs are ruining this game.

Okay who’s up in the fifth?

You can find my new novel, The Count of the Sahara at my publisher’s website or at Amazon.com

7 Days in July- Revisiting the Civil War with Kenneth A Griffiths

I may be the only person in America not obsessed with the Civil War, but a good story is a good story. 7 Days in July is a new work from Kennneth A Griffiths. I interviewed him about the book and what inspired it.

So what’s the Ken Griffiths story?

KAG Photo 001 (1) — Ken A Griffiths , author of 7 Days in July

Born in Iowa, raised in central Florida, military school for 2 years in Atlanta, Florida State University, accepted into US Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps for many years. I declined selection for early promotion to Major, left active duty. Hired by The Coca-Cola Company, passed Ga. bar exam, held 5 legal/management positions over the

next 11 years, resigned and became a commercial real estate broker first with a large national company , then a company in which I was a founder. Remained in Army Reserves and retired as a Colonel. I’m married, three adult children and 4 granddaughters, all of whom are in or near Atlanta.

In a nutshell, what’s the story of 7 Days in July?

This book tells the story of the Battle of Atlanta during the Civil War

The book, “Seven Days In July” tells the story of the 7 days leading up to and including July 22, 1864, on which “the Battle of Atlanta” took place. The history is as good as I could make it and, I used fiction, hopefully informed, to illuminate otherwise dark, unknowable corners of history. The story is balanced and is seen and told by men on both sides and at different levels of rank. An effort was made to understand motivation as well as behavior. Reader’s comments indicate some success in that regard.

Especially when it comes to the American Civil War, everyone has their own motivation for writing. What’s yours?

When I was 10 or so years old my paternal grandfather died. As part of his estate, a box arrived at our house containing 2 civil war swords, a double barreled shotgun, a telescope, a drinking cup and a likeness of a man in uniform. Additionally a 10 volume set of the “Photographic History of the Civil War” was in the box. I had never seen a sword, knew nothing of Captain Henry H. Griffiths and had never seen photographs like those contained in the books. My Dad served in WWII but never spoke of it, we were a non-warlike family, these things from the box were the stuff of fancy to a boy of 10. These material items planted an interest in family, genealogy, reading, history, patriotism and the law. I discovered Captain Griffiths, my great grandfather, had fought in the Atlanta campaign and I set out to discover where he and the First Iowa Battery were located during the summer of 1864. He makes an appearance or two in the book and served as a catalyst and inspiration for the story but it is not his story in any meaningful way.

Without giving away spoilers, what’s a favorite scene in the book?

My favorite is a fictional account of the death of Confederate General and division commander, William Walker. The death of fiery, old Walker may well have been a costly turning point for the south as the attack by Hardee’s Corps jumps off.

Where can people find your work and your book?

You can find me and the book at Amazon or on the Indigo River Publishing web site at Seven Days in July | Kenneth A. Griffiths

Finding the Right Voice for Historical Characters

When I was writing The Count of the Sahara, the hard part was taking facts that were well known, but making the characters more than just a regurgitation of what was already known and their own writing. How do you make the dialogue real, and the people involved come alive?

The cover of The Count of the Sahara available now on Kindle

As I explain in this interview on Lavinia Colins blog, I had one of those aha moments writers love to blab on and on about. You can read the interview here, but basically the desert scenes between Alonzo Pond and Byron de Prorok came alive when I found the analogy: It was “Amadeus in the Desert.” Read the article and find out why.

I remember standing in the archives at the Logan Museum of Anthropology when I had the epiphany. The Logan’s exhibit on this expedition is opening soon, and if you’re in the area check it out. Meanwhile, you can read the article on Lavinia’s site.

Full disclosure, Lavinia is a fellow writer for our publisher, TheBookFolks and a very good writer of Arthurian fantasy.

Renaming The Baby: The Count of the Sahara

So a little news on my upcoming novel. For 6 months, the working title has been “Pith Helmets in the Snow.” To no one’s surprise, the tile has changed. The new title is “The Count of the Sahara.”

Publication date for Kindle worldwide is now set for August 15, 2015 and the Paperback will be on Amazon by September 15. It will also be available at www.TheBookFolks.com.

More details including cover art to come!