1740's Bestseller

I read PAMELA, by Samuel Richardson. I read it because it was a bestseller after it was published in 1740. I read it because it was the first novel of its kind. As a romance writer, I was curious about it. As a writer of historicals, I wanted to study the style of the language of that time.

I can't say it was easy to read. The characters and the plot are too contrived. The hero was such a rat, I had a tough time believing he would ever turn around. Since the story is told through letters Pamela has written to her parents, it is also difficult to believe she had so much time to write everything down, in minute detail, including conversations. Pamela does go through quite an ordeal and her firm moral beliefs and religious faith buoy her up through her hardships.

For the book's historical significance, this was an intriguing read, a look backward into time, and for that reason I recommend it.

Naming Characters

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

William Shakespeare penned those words a long time ago for his play Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare was born in the sixteenth century. When he named his characters, he used names familiar to that time.

The popularity of given names changes. What's popular today was not in vogue twenty years ago. As a teacher of young children, I saw name trends come and go. There was one year when I had three little girls named Jennifer in my class!

When writing historicals, I roam around on the internet seeking names appropriate for the time period. There are some writers who roam through graveyards to find names for their characters, but the internet is quicker. Besides, I'm not really fond of walking through cemeteries.

There are several genealogy sites, which are helpful, but most of them charge a fee. https://familysearch.org does not charge a fee. It is run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is an excellent resource.

Currently, I'm writing a romance set in the 18th century. I found the Connecticut State Library has an interesting list of nicknames for the eighteenth and nineteenth century at http://www.ctstatelibrary.org/node/2329

Another good blog post on male names for 1800 is at http://historicalromanceuk.blogspot.com/2012/02/whats-in-name-top-fifty-male-names-in.html

There's a fun post on oddball names, too, at http://www.nancy.cc/2013/07/31/oddball-english-names-17th-18th-centuries/

For English names of the Renaissance era I found http://www.peiraeuspubliclibrary.com/names/renaissancenames/RenaissanceEnglishNames.html

Of course, there are plenty of names an author can borrow from literature. Take a look at http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/822841/unique-baby-names-from-classic-books

What would you name your historical characters?

Book Video for The Fiend of White Buck Hall

I spent the past few days putting together a book video for The Fiend of White Buck Hall. I bought several stock photos from iStockphoto, but as usual I had several photos of my own to use. The mansion in the video is Batso. The park scenes are from Thompson Park.

In fact, the initial idea for The Fiend of White Buck Hall came from a walk in the park one evening at dusk. We heard and saw an owl in a tree high above us. Then Daughter #2 swore she heard a deer stamping the ground behind us.

I did not see a deer, but it was getting a bit creepy. So we hurried out of there as quickly as we could. The park ranger was waiting by our car. :^)

You can find the book at http://www.newconceptspublishing.com. Currently, it is only available in digital form.