Tag: ireland

The ‘Wise-Woman’ and her place in history!

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secrets front

In the days before communities were served through the NHS with a local doctor or even before that with a doctor who had to be paid for his services there existed ‘Wise-Women’ otherwise known as folk-healers, or what we would call early midwives.

These women became synonymous with ‘witches’ and many suffered after the renaissance through the persecution of witchcraft. This in part was justified by their use of lucky or healing charms, amulets and crosses made of Rowan, to ward off evil. Ironic really as they used natural, God-given cures that they should have been accused of dancing with the devil.

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 “…she never was a witch. She never traded potions, poisons, or spells; she was just a wise woman who knew how to survive off the land. She believed in a god, whether it was the God or a greater spirit, or a mother of all the earth, but her instincts were acute.” Mary Underwood in ‘Secrets’

However, ‘Wise-Women’ deserve a place of their own in history. They aided their communities since the Middle Ages and could often be held in some regard and notoriety. Which is perhaps why they were so heavily hunted by radicals in the Reformation. When their ‘patient’ died opinion could turn against them quickly. Mary Underwood describes her grandmother’s life in Ireland to her daughter Imogen:

“She lived in a small cottage with a peat fire. It was not as comfy as this one, but I loved it. She was full of tales, and she knew how to read the seasons, use the plants, see beyond the obvious and I so wanted to be like her. The local folk used her potions, asked about what they should do – she was wise and kind. She even knew her letters and taught me as I have taught you.” Secrets

Medicine, in its early development took place in cities and towns and was purely the province of men. The term ‘doctor’ was not used for people who healed outside of universities until the 19th century.

In the rural parts of the UK, healing was down to these ‘wise-women’. They were people who would create remedies from things in the local landscape: plants, animals, water and minerals such as salt.

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Hence, vicar’s wife Ruth Arrow’s comments, that lingered with her son Micah:

“Micah’s mother had forbidden him to ever go near the Underwoods, the ‘wise woman’ who used plants to heal. They were considered ungodly ways…”

Traditionally the cures were passed down from mother to daughter and the results shared with the local community.

As scientific knowledge of the human body was very limited, these cures sometimes became known as charms or spells. Terminology that later became very dangerous for these women.

Even when being a ‘doctor’ became a paid job, in the rural areas the citizens would still turn to the local ‘wise-woman’. She could be paid through a barter system and was trusted – until something went wrong!

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These practises continued into the rural areas until into the twentieth century and the advent of the NHS to varying degrees. The practitioners ran the risk of being turned upon by those they treated. This could mean being isolated or being physically attacked.

Just as in today’s homeopathic treatments, many of the old ‘cures’ would be able to help common ailments, particularly when diets were much more limited than they are today.

You can read Mary’s story in Secrets, available on Kindle and KindleUnlimited.

Friends & Foes Book 1
Friends & Foes Book 2

Meet Catherine Tinley – winner of the RNA’s 2021 Goldsboro Books Historical Romantic Novel Award!

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Tinley rags to riches author (2)

Welcome, Catherine, and huge congratulations on winning the RNA’s 2021 Goldsboro Books Historical Romantic Novel Award!

 

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When did a love of books turn into a desire to actually write them?

It was probably when I realised that Georgette Heyer should have written at least another hundred books, and I started to play around with story ideas. I don’t claim to have even a smidgen of her wit, but it was her books that made me fall in love with the whole world of Regency Romance. My very first idea was of a character that was like The Grand Sophy, but different. Like Sophy, she was moving to relatives in London having been raised abroad by an easygoing father. Unlike Sophy though, she was introverted, and her new relatives were less than welcoming. Those initial jottings became Waltzing with the Earl, my first novel.

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When did you get your first break into publishing?

I had no idea about the publishing industry. I didn’t know about competitions, or the RNA, or agents, or writers’ groups none of it. Once I had the manuscript into reasonable form, I simply sent off query letters to four publishers, including Harlequin Mills & Boon.

Three came back with a ‘no’, but the lovely Julia Williams at Mills and Boon picked up my book from the slush pile and, after some edits, offered me a two-book contract! Waltzing then went on to win the prestigious Rita® Award in the USA. It was a finalist in two categories – ‘Best Historical’ and ‘Best First Book’ and it won the historical section, where it was up against some wonderful books by very experienced writers. I went to the US for the awards ceremony, and afterwards Tessa Dare asked for a selfie with me! It still seems like a dream.

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What does being a member of the RNA mean to you?

I love the sense of community and mutual support. There’s never a feeling of competition not even on the night of the RoNA Awards! Some of the women in the RNA Irish Chapter are good friends of mine now, and we’ve been encouraging each other to keep writing during the pandemic. I’d like to thank Ruth Long and Suzanne Hull, our chapter coordinators, for doing such a great job.

Why did you choose Regency as your preferred era?

It kind of chose me! I’ve been reading romance since I was a teenager, but I’ve always been drawn to historical settings. Between Georgette Heyer and the BBC Pride & Prejudice, I succumbed, and have been a Regencyite ever since.

What do you want your readers to have gained from reading a Catherine Tinley novel?

I want them to be carried away by a story, feel all the feels, then feel good uplifted and hopeful by the end. Surely that’s not too much to ask lol? I generally write ‘quiet’ stories set among families and tight-knit communities, rather than action adventures or comedies. Yes, sometimes there are passages or events that are dramatic or funny, but mostly I try to make the world and the people very real to readers.

Your work has been described as ‘unputdownable’ and you have won awards, including this year’s RoNA Award for Best Historical Romance, so what are your future writing ambitions?

I just want to keep writing, and I’d like readers to keep enjoying my books. Everything else is a bonus. I was genuinely shocked when I won the RoNA recently for Rags-to-Riches Wife, as there were nine great finalists. However I do know that many readers particularly enjoyed that book. I deal with class issues, bereavement, and recovery from previous trauma, so I somehow managed to pack a lot in there. Jane, my heroine, is a lady’s maid who visits wealthy relatives and suddenly finds herself sitting in drawing-rooms rather than kitchens. No-one ever asked Cinderella if she was uncomfortable adapting to her new status and surroundings. Jane has a lot of challenges to face before she gets her happy-ever-after!

What advice would you give your younger, unpublished self?

Just keep writing, I guess. I was never particularly hung up on the idea of being published, although of course I hoped for it. For me, the pleasure is always in the writing itself.

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How have you coped/worked through lockdown?

I work full-time in the NHS, so the past year has been challenging in many ways. My colleagues are amazing, but we’re all bone-weary at this point. I manage a large maternity service and neonatal unit, and those babies just kept coming, pandemic or no pandemic! We’ve adapted to PPE, social distancing, covid testing, and a million other things, and we’ve tried to be flexible and responsive to women’s (and partners’) needs.

When not writing what do you do to relax?

Writing is my relaxing. I’m usually too tired to write in the evenings after work, so my writing is done on weekends and days off. I find it totally relaxing to return to my created world and my beloved characters. It’s mindfulness on stilts! I also love walking with my family (and our wee dog, Carey) in local beauty spots, including the Fairy Glen and Kilbroney, CS Lewis’s inspiration for Narnia, apparently.

What is next for Catherine?

My next book, Captivating the Cynical Earl, will be out in July, plus I’m half-way through writing the one after. It’s set in the Hebrides in 1810 so lots of research involved. I’m going to keep writing, for as long as readers want to read my books. Simple as!

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My sincere thanks to you and your amazing NHS colleagues who have worked so hard to look after us throughout the pandemic.

I wish you every continued success!

A warm welcome to romantic novelist, M. A. Nichols

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Welcome, Melanie

Looking at your website your sense of fun comes through very strongly. Do you look on every task as a challenge to be enjoyed? Is this your approach to life?

Oh, I wish I had the optimism to approach life like this all the time. I definitely try to ascribe to the “brighter side of life” mentality, but I’ve had plenty of heartache and difficulties in which I struggled to see any reason to be happy. Many of the hardships my characters have gone through are directly influenced by my past, and there are definitely moments where I just need to wallow in my misery for a little bit.

However, I do believe that happiness in life isn’t due to circumstances but to outlook and attitude. It’s important to acknowledge that life sucks sometimes and sometimes you need to cry for a little bit, but I’ve found that there are always reason to be happy despite a crappy situation, if I just open my eyes.

Do you try to filter humour through your novels to lighten the darker moments?

To quote Steel Magnolias, “Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.”

You work full time, love to travel, read extensively, paint and have a large family so how do you fit in writing? Do you have a set routine?

Whew. That’s a tricky question. I think one of the most difficult things in life is to find balance between all the things we need to do, all the things we want to do, and maintaining our physical and mental well-being.

One of the ways I try to maintain good balance is through schedules and to-do lists because if left to my own devices, I’d probably sit in front of the TV all day. Success isn’t something that happens by accident, so I try to plan and organize my time to be more efficient. In fact, I had to set a goal to read less the last couple of years because I found I spent too much time reading others’ books and not working on my own. Lol.

I empathise completely with the desire to become an Indie author, which you explain in detail on your website, but for those authors who are about to take their first Indie steps, what key advice would you give them?

There is no easy path to publishing success. While getting your book published is easier through indie publishing, it’s no guarantee that you’ll make any money. Publishing is a marathon, not a sprint, so don’t expect instant fame and riches. Your first books likely won’t do well, but successful indie authors don’t give up after those first flops. They keep putting out books and trying new things until something catches on.

My first two series have never done well. I spent two years building up those fantasy series, and nothing has ever come of them. Then I decided to publish a passion project — Flame and Ember — which was a historical romance. Not exactly the same fanbase. But I went for it, and the book took off. It was my fifth published book.

Don’t give up. Keep trying.

Has your knowledge of landscape management and landscape architecture into practical use in your writing?

Not really. I’ve used it for some descriptions, but that’s about it. I would say that it, along with my music and art background have given me a lot of training in the creative fields, which has helped me overall.

I loved Flame and Ember, what attracted you to Regency England?

I’ve been a fan of the sweet historical romance genre for a few years, and I’ve loved classic literature from the 1800s for most of my life. That century had so much upheaval and changes that are fascinating to explore.

Have you visited any of the UK cities linked to this period of history or the country houses around them: London, York, Harrogate, Bath?

Yes, and I plan to do a lot more. I’ve been to England three times now, and while the first two were purely for fun, the last time was for research purposes. I learned so much, and it was so inspiring. I came away with a notebook full of notes, several gigs of photos, and a lot of ideas to make my books more realistic.

I am hoping to return very soon. I had planned on visiting this fall, but of course, that’s not happening. Crossing my fingers for a spring trip instead!

You plan to write in the Regency, Victorian and eventually about the Wild West – How extensively do you research?

Researching is a never-ending process. Honestly, I dove into the Regency era with little background in it — other than a love of Jane Austen and having read a ton of novels set in the era. Now, I’m constantly reading some non-fiction book about the period, and each time I learn something new that will inform my future books.

The Wild West was a very popular market in my youth ( a short while ago ☺ ) Is it still a big market in the US?

I believe it is. I haven’t taken the dive into that subgenre yet, but I do love reading those types of books, so I will be writing some in the future. But I’m focused on my England-based novels right now.

Where, in a post pandemic world, would you like to travel to?

Right now, the highest priority is getting back to England. I’ve got a list of several hundred places I’d like to go for research purposes (museums, estates, etc.), and I’m desperate to make a dent in it. Every time I cross one off, I seem to add a dozen more!

But if we’re talking just for fun, Ireland has been high on my list for a few years now, and I was planning on a tour of the Dalmatian Coast with my brother and his family for this summer that has gotten pushed back.

Who or what has influenced you strongly in life and/or in your writing?

There are so many people and things. Seriously, this is a massive list that would take a long time to go through, but first and foremost, would be my parents. I grew up in a household where we loved literature. They taught me to love the written word and exposed me to so many different genres. Between the two of them, they read everything and gave me a love of all sorts of books.

My dad was the CEO of a company for most of his career, and he’s now a business consultant of sorts. He’s my sounding board and guide through all the business aspects. My mom is an artist and loves helping me with the creative side. She’s one of my best beta readers / critiquers. They both are massive cheerleaders and supports through the ups and downs of this publishing journey.

Please tell us about your latest release.

The Honorable Choice came out August 25th and is the second book in my Victorian Love series, which is a spin-off of my Regency books and follows the next generation. Conrad Ashbrook is the son of one of my previous couples, and when his brother ruins a young lady and refuses to save her good name, Conrad steps up and marries her.

A marriage they didn’t choose. A child conceived in a lie. Can they overcome their broken dreams and find happiness in a life forced upon them?

Pantomimes & Fairy Tales

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Christmas would not be Christmas in the UK without the onset of the pantomime season.  Theaters up and down the land give way to the colourful, family, slap-stick humour of the pantomime. Celebrities appear in the most surprising roles to join in the seasonal fun. One of the most popular titles is the adaptation of the beloved fairy-tale Cinderella.

Poor Cinderella is a persecuted heroine. She has lost her own mother and father and is left in the ‘care’ of her step-mother and her daughters – the ugly sisters.

Watercolor by Henry Richter

The origins of Cinderella can be traced back through different cultures at various times in history from: Greek mythology, Chinese fable, seventeenth century France in Perrault’s verison in 1697 and the Brothers Grimm’s Ashenputtel to name but a few.

It is a universal theme. Beauty is more than skin deep and so is ugliness. Cinderella’s rescuer can be magical, human, a tree – or in my version on this Cinderella theme, a combination of faith, hope and love in human form who seeks justice for my poor Ellie. Of course, the greatest of these is love 🙂