Metamorphosis of a Novel, Part III

In the last two posts, we saw how my novel Before the Season Ends, was transformed from its first, self-published edition to a new one with Harvest House Publishers. The book was well received and so popular with many Christian authors that a bunch of them went on to write regencies themselves.

Today, I'll show two other editions of the book from Harvest House Publishers.
FIRST, A PICTORIAL RECAP:

1. The Self Published Edition

2. The Harvest House Edition

I loved this cover. The model captured Ariana perfectly.(Mr. Mornay, not!)

OTHER EDITIONS

And here's the other editions from Harvest House (Yea, Harvest House! They were great to work with, by the way, and wonderful to do so many editions of the book. They've got great people over there. My editor, Nick Harrison, has moved on from being a Senior Editor with them to a literary agent with WordServe Literary.)

3. Large Print Edition

This is a hard back, beautiful version of the book.

4. Before the Season Ends--Russian Edition

There may be a book club edition also; I have a copy of the sequel in a hardcover book club edition, but couldn't find it for this one. (If YOU have a book club edition of Before the Season Ends, please send me a picture! Thank you.) There were also, of course, kindle, Nook, and EPub editions.

I have to say that getting letters from Russian readers was thrilling. Each one was incredibly SWEET. They seem to be the nicest people you could ever want to meet. (At least, the readers of historical romance are!)

I've been privileged and blessed with this book and its "metamorphoses."

THE NEWEST EDITION

Here's the latest Lilliput Press edition--newly revised and edited, with some new content added, a bonus recipe and bigger glossary. There's also a foreword from Nick Harrison, the editor who acquired the book for Harvest House.

The new imprint has been accepted into the Library of Congress and the LCCN# has now been added to the copyright page. (So excited about that!)

WHAT'S NEXT

Next stop: Audible! (ACX) The cover is already prepared. :)

If you're published, do you have books that have gone through a metamorphosis? Self-pubbed to traditional? If it's a clean read, leave your links so we can take a look. Thanks!

Warmest Blessings,

Linore

Tip for Writers:

1. Do you have a book that is with a publisher but out of print? See if you can get the rights reverted back to you. (The conditions under which you can do this are probably in your contract.) By getting back the rights, you can edit your original work--if desired--and give a book new life! I've mentioned how Harvest House was so easy to work with. This was another instance where that was true. I had merely to send a letter requesting the rights to my three books with them, and I got them back. You will get legal documentation of this so that there is no question of copyright infringement when you re-publish.

Metamorphosis of a Novel, Continued (Part II)

Did you miss part one of the Metamorphosis of a Novel?

Catch it here.

Before the Season Ends

2nd Edition with Harvest House, above, right

In my last post I discussed the earliest, self-published edition of the book, above left

Nowadays, we are told that if a book is self-published, it can never be picked up by a traditional publisher.

I'm glad the editor that picked up my book for Harvest House, Nick Harrison, didn't believe that!

Here's what happened: 2006-2008

After I followed the Lord's leading and got my book into print, I spent the next two + years taking courses on marketing and promotion. I learned rudiments of platform building, and the importance of sprinkling the net with one's URL and book image. A lot of what I learned is no longer applicable, and I paid big bucks to learn it. (For instance, how to organize an Amazon best seller campaign via joint-venture marketing and email blasts. Basically, this is where you offer a ton of bonuses so people will buy your book in large numbers and it will shoot to the top of the sales ranking.)

That method used to work, but it wasn't for me. Amazon has since discouraged such campaigns and will work against you if they discover you're trying to work the system that way. (Just in case you're thinking it sounds like a good idea!) I also learned about leaving marks across the web--sort of like saying "Linore was here," except it's more polite than that. You find sites that have content related to your book and leave a well-written article with your name and website URL.

At the same time that I was busily spreading my website link and book image all over the web. (Read: Writing articles like mad that related to Regency England, since my book is a regency; spreading these articles onto as many online article banks as I could find, and building my email list and website) an editor was looking around for a Christian regency.
Coincidence? I think not.
When God told me to get moving on my "almost blunted purpose," He knew the timing was important.

So Nick found me and my book. In fact, his email said he was looking around for a Christian regency and "I keep running into you and your book." He politely asked me if I would send him a copy.

So I immediately went out and mailed it first-class, right? An editor from Harvest House! One of the top five Christian publishers! But no--not thick-headed me. I thought, "What if he hates it?" And I procrastinated. Again!

Nick, God bless him, sent me a reminder email. So I put together a cover letter and sent him a book.
He liked it so well he pitched it to his marketing committee. He warned me not to get my hopes up.
But soon enough Harvest House sent me a contract!

2008 Edition with Harvest House Publishers

I told Nick he was my publishing hero. I think it sort of embarrassed him, but I still think of him that way. Eventually, Harvest House gave me contracts for two more books, which are sequels to Before the Season Ends. But it all started with them because of Nick.

PS: Small wonder Nick found me then, not only because I'd worked so hard to BE found, but because there were NO other Christian regencies at the time! That was why I wrote the book in the first place. I'm grateful that Nick was also interested in bringing this wonderful genre to Christian readers. He wrote the foreword of the newest edition and talks about that himself--but I get ahead of myself.

To Be Continued...Next time--a couple of wonderful editions, thanks to Harvest House.

Read an EXCERPT from Before the Season Ends HERE.

Need a copy? Purchase the book HERE.

Today's Writing Tip:
Platform building can feel endless, but if you put the right foundational pieces into place, it will stay there and last for a long time--and serve you well with potential editors, agents, or media. Social media posts come and go. Learn the foundational building blocks to make a good platform. I gave a thorough webinar on this. (If you want to view the webinar, there is a small fee. Please email me Linore (at) LinoreBurkard (dot) com. and I'll send you the link.)

The Metamorphosis of a Novel, Part One

The First Edition

With the release of the new edition of my first novel, Before the Season Ends, I thought it might interest some of you to follow its journey since I first wrote "the end." In this post and the next few, I'll be sharing the many published versions there are of this one novel. (Three are with Harvest House alone).
Each post will have tips for writers at the end.

Year: 1990s-2003

1st Edition 2005

Indie Excellence Finalist Award

There's a saying that goes like this: If you can't find the book you want to read, write it yourself.

That is exactly what spurred me to write my first novel. I hoped and waited for years for someone else to write a "real" Christian regency, but it never happened. When I read some that fell woefully short, I thought, I could do better than that. So I did.

Here's how it happened:
Once I realized that in order to read a "real" Christian regency, I would have to write it myself, I spent hours and hours at the library in their reference department, scouring resource material. (Today's authors don't realize how easy they have it now! What is a click away for them, sometimes took hours for me to dig up.) I was determined to get my research right.

Meanwhile, I had three young labors of love called children, so library--or writing time--was hard to come by. But I would try to get alone at night and work on various literary labors of love--one of which became Before the Season Ends. My husband watched the kids upstairs while I wrote at a desk in a little basement bedroom in our house on Long Island. But there were also days when I scribbled scenes as a toddler crawled across my lap. (The difficulty of carving out time to write made me work harder at it, I think, than if I had had all the hours in the world to do it.)

Little by little the book took shape. After my fourth child was born, I kept up my sporadic attempts to finish a novel. Just about the time I finished it, we moved to Ohio. I spent years homeschooling and dabbling with other books, but I couldn't get away from Before the Season Ends. I spent a year editing the book with such skill as I had. (Not as much as I've acquired.)

The Game Changer
I began praying about how to get it published. I knew NOTHING about the world of publishing, agents, etc. I did some poking around and decided to send it to two publishers. One--a major Christian publisher--expressed interest and requested the full manuscript, but later turned it down. That close call discouraged me. Nowadays, I would know that when you're seeking to get a book published, you either use an agent, or you query as many publishers as you can find who accept unsolicited manuscripts in your genre. But after only two rejections, I was (foolishly) discouraged and ready to quit. Except that the Lord wouldn't let me.

Little Holy Nudges
I love to tell this story. Here's how God nudged me not to give up on the book. In college, as an English Lit. major, I read my fair share of Shakespeare. In Hamlet, the ghost of the dead king nudges his son to kill the usurper who has not only stolen his crown and his wife, but murdered him to boot. He wants Hamlet to avenge his death but has to remind the famous procrastinator of
"thine almost blunted purpose." Well, oddly enough, God kept reminding me of "thine almost blunted purpose." It would have been startling, except I already knew the Lord has an exquisite sense of humor. I knew, too, exactly what "purpose" He was talking about: my book! It took me years to figure out why He chose a line from Hamlet, however: (in retrospect, it's painfully obvious) Because, like that poor prince, I was an expert procrastinator! After those first rejections, I'd done nothing to get the book published.

There were two wonderful things that came of His reminders.
1. I knew HE cared about the book!
2. I realized it was no less than my purpose (one of them, anyway) to get it out there!

2004-2005
With incentive coming from God himself, I had the courage to look around some more. I settled upon a Christian self-publishing company (never even considered querying more traditional publishers--you'd think with divine inspiration I would have; but no, because I'm about as thick-headed as they come.) In any case, the first edition was born, and was a finalist in The Indie Exellence Contest. (See picture above)

(To Be Continued...)

WHAT I LEARNED (Tips for Writers)
1. Don't scrimp on research. If I did anything right, it was being meticulous about this.
2. Don't be too quick to give up! The publishing world is tough to break into, but not impossible.
3. Commit your work to the Lord. And let Him direct its path.
4. Be flexible. Your perfect vision for how and when your book gets published may not be God's plan for that work.
5. Nowadays, the old-style vanity publisher should be a last resort unless the writer only wants to publish for friends and family. As a publisher myself, I help authors who want to get their books into print--but I would caution any writer from going with a company who will print anything. Back then, I didn't know better. Even so, when I got the galleys, I made endless changes--all costing me--but I was aiming for excellence. If editing and/or book doctoring isn't part of the deal, run, don't walk, in another direction. (And that book still needed editing--don't scrimp on that, either.)

Click here to see the latest, newly updated and edited release of Before the Season Ends
http://amzn.to/2H7eTLI

The Mad, Mad, World Giveaway Winner!

Much thanks to all of you for your marvelous comments in this giveaway--such fun!

Using random.org, the winner drawn is CAT WILKE.

Congratulations, Cat!

Please choose a book from my regency series:

Stay tuned next week as I share "The Metamorphosis of a Novel" and run another giveaway.

I'll be showing the various editions of my first novel, telling a little "behind the scenes" info. about each one. I'll hold another drawing for a free book.

In the meantime, if you haven't seen the hilarious comments from the original post, take a look. (It will give you a chuckle or two.)

See you soon!

Linore
http://www.LinoreBurkard.com
http://www.LRBurkard.com

The Mad, Mad World of Authors and Book Giveaway

READ THE POST TO ENTER THE BOOK DRAWING!

Note: I'm back to blogging. I'll still send out newsletters with all the varied content you've come to expect, but I can link to articles here and write more for those who care to read it.

Such as this...

The Mad, Mad, World of Authors

I was on the phone with a dear author friend of mine--who will remain nameless because of what I'm about to share. She's multi-published, and, like me, has a zillion ideas more than she'll ever be able to write. We can talk for hours about all the writing we're doing, would like to do, and hope to do--as well as other creative projects.

During our last call, she had me laughing silly when she shared that one day she'd been thinking about one of her books and suddenly had a brain freeze. She couldn't remember the title. This was a book SHE WROTE. It was published by a small press and has been out for years--but she couldn't recall the exact title.

I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes--mostly because it struck a chord. I should explain that we authors like to refer to our books in shorthand. For instance, Before the Season Ends, (my newest re-release) is simply B.T.S.E. to me. The sequel, The House in Grosvenor Square, is THIGS. So my friend could only remember the acronym of her book.

When I recently revisited my earlier books to edit them for new editions, I was delighted by some of my own writing as if reading it for the first time. Now--authors grow and improve in their craft, just like people in other fields. So I also saw things that did not delight me--which is why I can say the series has been "newly edited." But the fact remains that we often forget our own words.

Sometimes even our book titles.

Not Just Books

I once had to leave a cart full of groceries at the store because back then I used a debit card and suddenly could not remember my PIN number. I drove to the bank, and there discovered--horrors--I still needed that same PIN number to withdraw cash. And my brain freeze hadn't cleared yet. In the end, I had to go into the bank to withdraw cash and then return to the store to check out our groceries.

You can see why I laughed so hard when my friend couldn't remember her book title. I can relate all too well.

Book Giveaway

You don't need to be an author to have the occasional brain freeze. When was the last time it happened to you? Was it your phone number, your son's birthday, or maybe even the title of a book you've written? Share your answer in the comments and I'll draw one winner to get a copy of the just-released new edition of Before the Season Ends, or, The House in Grosvenor Square, both heartwarming romances. (Enter the drawing even if you've read the old editions. You'll enjoy the new ones even more.)

Leave a comment to enter the drawing for a free copy!

PS: Don't forget to leave your contact info so I can notify you if you win! Leave email addresses like this: (for example) YourName (at) yourserver (dot) com. --so internet trolls can't glean your info.

DO YOU GET MY NEWSLETTER? If not, sign up here: http://www.LinoreBurkard.com

Is Jane Austen a Great Writer?

By Linore Rose Burkard

Quora is growing in popularity. What is Quora? A forum where anyone can ask a question to the world (the world as registered on the site, that is) and expect an answer. The good thing about Quora is that you can ask any question you want, and you might learn a thing or two while browsing answers. The bad thing is that anyone can answer your question—not only experts, but anyone—and the only possible “vetting” is by popularity: people either upvote an answer if they like it, or downvote it if they do not. An upvote doesn’t mean the answer is necessarily correct. It just means the viewer liked it and voted for it.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE...

The following is a guest post by Gerry Greene, a friend and poet who, along with his wife, recently visited the memorial to Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.

As we remember the devastation, the losses, the courage and the lessons learned that day for our country, I thought it would be fitting to share his touching tribute.

The Martyrs on Flight 93

I opened the door for my wife and followed her onto the concrete deck, overlooking the valley of sacrifice.

She took my hand as she stepped onto the hard packed gravel path between the newly planted memorial trees.

We walked in silence as tears evaporated slowly in gentle breeze.

The miniscule stones crunched beneath our feet with a reassuring sound, on this two mile circle of love for the patriotic

martyrs on flight 93.

The Wall of Names

The building behind us with long lines of people told the story of heros at this place,

with recordings and pictures of grownups and children, who flew in that plane on that 9/11 day.

One wife told her husband, "Be brave" on the cell phone, just before he ended the call.

He then stood and confronted the evil intruders who held captive the

martyrs on flight 93.

We walked for a mile toward the left and around the large circle that led us to the now hallowed ground.

The foot bridge over water, representing to me technology of flight to benefit man,

delivered us to the remote parking lot, for those unable to make the mile-long walk.

A few yards further stood the wall of remembrance with names of the

martyrs on flight 93.

I sat on a bench by a man who was resting--who seemed to be eager to make conversation.

He told of his friend from Hawaii, a lady, who flew from Pittsburgh on that warm fateful day.

A celebration journey was hers as she traveled, expanding her business with purchases of new products along the way,

not knowing she had joined these

martyrs on flight 93.

Memorial Boulder marks the point of impact

In spite of the 16 year interval of silence, his pain for her surfaced as he talked of his friend,

and this was the first time he'd come to this place in her honor, while I listened in sorrow as he pointed to a boulder

beyond the white fence and told me of its purpose and what it represents.

The marker he said, is the point of their impact, of the

martyrs on flight 93.

I stood in silence before a name on the wall and the woman to my left began talking to me.

She told of the man that the marble slab represented and of his friendship to her extended family.

This was no longer just a name chisled on the wall, but a person of kindness who made a difference now affecting me.

I grieved with this lady as she suffered while thinking of the heroic

martyrs on flight 93.

We finished the walk on the gravel without speaking, as it wound through black-eyed susans and wild flowers surrounding

the path to the building at the top of the hill. A wall of stone stood next to the building--showing the direction of the flight path that day.

My mind tried to process emerging emotions as I lingered, looking back at the precious memorial of

martyrs on flight 93.

Wildflower Meadow behind boulder

To learn more about the memorial: https://www.nps.gov/flni/index.htm

Takeaway: Please pray for the peace of our nation, and for an end to radical Islamic terrorism (and all terrorism), so no more events such as those that occurred on 9/11 will happen again.

Blessings,

Linore

James Herriot's Wonderful Books--A Review

Quote

"I'm never at my best in the early morning, especially a cold morning in the Yorkshire spring with a piercing March wind sweeping down from the fells, finding its way inside my clothing, nipping at my nose and ears."

James Herriot

Have you read James Herriot? When I was a teenager, my mother bought his now famous "All Creatures Great and Small" debut novel/memoir, and I borrowed it. Since then, I have read this book at least five times, and of course I have my own treasured copy.

I used public transportation a lot back then. Riding on the metro bus in NYC, I passed time by reading. Herriot was so hilarious at times that I laughed out loud on crowded buses--and didn't care what people thought, which was unusual for self-conscious me.

A gifted writer, Herriot's books are astonishingly charming true stories of his life as a vet in the early nineteenth century in Yorkshire, England. Having read all his books more than once, I learned things that came in handy when I later wrote my own novels set in England, though not in Yorkshire.

There aren't many books I can read again and again. Herriot's are exceptions. They'll have you laughing your sides off, squirming, re-reading passages for sheer pleasure, and shaking your head at characters. (Animals are characters in their own right, and you'll learn much about cattle, birthing livestock, pigs and dogs, to name a few.)

My favorite of his, and the creme de la creme, in my opinion, is All Things Bright and Beautiful. Some of the funniest moments I have ever read in literature are in this book.

The PBS series ("All Creatures Great and Small") drew on material from the books, but I never was able to really appreciate the adaptations. The characters in the book were so strongly drawn in my mind that the actors couldn't compare. I've only seen a handful of episodes.

The beauty of the books is that each chapter is a perfect little story of its own, and you can read them that way; but together the story of Herriot's life unfolds, always with unflinching honesty, self-effacing humor, and above all, great affection for the people, places, and animals he lived and worked among. You will never feel the same about the beautiful northern area that is Yorkshire.

I seldom recommend books with such glowing assurance--but Herriot's have brought me so many happy hours that I would be unjust not to. Millions of people have made the trek to Yorkshire just to visit his now famous "surgery" (the vet's office) and the countryside he so wonderfully depicts in the stories.

If you take the plunge into his world, here are a few tips:

1. Some people find the dialect of the dales off-putting. My advice is to stick with it. You'll soon understand and enjoy it.

2. Read the books in the order they were written. Herriot borrowed a famous poem to title his works, but the first book in the series is not the first line of the poem. Here's the proper order to read them in:

All Creatures Great and Small

All Things Bright and Beautiful

All Things Wise and Wonderful

The Lord God Made Them All

(Much later) Every Living Thing

Eventually more books came out of these stories, including ones for children, for dog lovers, or horse lovers, but these first are not to be missed!

A note for Christian readers--Despite the titles, Herriot's books are not "Christian" books. That is, he avoids the subject of God almost entirely. He spends a great deal of time admiring Creation up in those dales and "fells" but seems to have kept a strict policy of leaving religion out of his writing. Just FYI.

"AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT"
If the Herriot books seem too "tame" for you, try my latest apocalyptic/suspense YA series.

To See Book One--PULSE--Click Here

Warmly,
Linore
PS: I'm preparing a coaching program for new writers who want to write and publish a book, but haven't found a way to follow through and do it. I'll hold your hand through the process--all the way from idea (or first draft) to published novel. I can only take on 12 people or less. Let me know if you might be interested and I'll send you the details.. Email me: Linore(at)LinoreBurkard(dot)com.

Novel Rocket: How Not to Do A Critique

Novel Rocket: How Not to Do A Critique: By Linore Rose Burkard, @LinoreRBurkard

Seasoned writers know that having one's work critiqued by fellow writers (or even savvy readers) can determine the difference between a finished piece that is merely "good," or one that sings. ...

[click the title to read more]

And Then There Were Three (Thank You, Readers!)

The Pulse Effex trilogy is now complete!

When I wrote PULSE, I didn't expect to write a sequel, much less a third volume in the series. Today, having finished the three, I'm grateful for the many readers who wanted more and thus, spurred me on.

My life has been richer for knowing the characters in the stories. But I couldn't have come to know them quite as deeply had I stopped the series with the first book. I didn't plan from the beginning to write a trilogy, but when I kept writing and stayed in the world of the story, it developed.

The same thing happened after I wrote my first novel, Before the Season Ends. In this case, it was the world of regency England that I was immersed in, and again, I had no idea of writing a trilogy, but that's what happened. When Harvest House Publishers asked me if I could write a sequel, I did. When they offered a contract for a third book, suddenly I had ideas for it.

Takeaway: Our brains are capable of producing way more than we think, and more than we often give ourselves credit for.

If you're starting a book and want to write a series, don't feel that you need to know the end from the beginning. Even though you are the author, you're not God. You'll learn and grow on the way, just like the characters in your stories. And, those characters, if you've developed them into real people, will lead you into the drama and conflict that is necessary to sustain a novel.

The key is to keep writing. Explore the lives of your characters until you locate their hot spots and areas of conflict--and make the most of both.

To Your Success and God's Glory!

Linore

PS: The early reviews for DEFIANCE are great (all but one). See what readers are saying HERE.

Here's one of my favorite reviews so far, from reader Cale Nelson:

My 13 year old son and I are both L.R. Burkard Fans!
I read the first book and was hooked on the story. Passed it onto my son who has read it at least 4 times and listened to the Audio countless times as well. Book 2 was a blast that we both enjoyed too! Again, I read once and he has read 3 times since I loaded to his Kindle.
He actually moped around for months waiting for Defiance to be released, and he was stoked when I uploaded a pre-release of the book to his Kindle. He's read it twice in a matter of weeks now and just told me last night he's getting ready to start it again! I'm actually about 1/2 through and it; like book two, it takes off right away and gets you right into the action and struggle these folks are facing.
Dystopian Fiction is my favorite genre, but there isn't much that I can allow my son to read due to the language or situations presented. L.R. has filled this void with her 3 novels. There are great life lessons as well as practical applications of skills and processes in emergent situations. If you or your Pre-Teen/Teen are interested in the 'what if' These books are a Must Read!

I could type more, but that would only take away from your time that could be spent reading these fine novels! ***** 5 Stars

What's It About?

In this third installment of the PULSE EFFEX SERIES, foreign soldiers and fellow Americans gone rogue are just the beginning of what Andrea, Lexie and Sarah must face. Beneath the threat of nuclear strikes and guerrilla armies, the girls long for a free country in which to live--and love. Survival means resistance must give way to defiance. But can ordinary teens and their families withstand powerful forces and keep hope alive?

CHECK IT OUT HERE

Here's 2 Chances to Win Prizes with Guest Author Debbie Lynne Costello

When Did You Last Win Something?

Today, thanks to Christian author Debbie Lynne Costello, you have two opportunities to win prizes! But first, read her interesting, illustrated post on one aspect of medieval living that is far different from what we experience today.

(Note from Linore: If you read my Pulse Effex Series, you'll remember that we could one day be reverted back to the old way of doing things! Take note and be thankful for modern conveniences!) Giveaway info. is at the end of the post.

Taking A Bath--A Peek Through History

by Debbie Lynne Costello

Recently, a medieval "sin-washing well" was discovered. How fascinating! I thought.
I wanted to learn more about it. I searched through lots of medieval-era reference material, but couldn't find anything on it besides the name of the new discovery.

But what I did find was a lot of articles on bathing from Roman times to medieval times. I thought I'd share with you some of what I learned.

Ancient Rome was famous for their public bath houses. Some of those buildings are still standing today, allowing us a glimpse into that part of history. These bath houses had hot rooms, cold rooms and even just plain old warm rooms to lounge around in. Some of the wealthier people had their own private bath houses.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1231248

Around the 12th century there was Jewish ritual bathing. The water had to come from a live well (water that came from a river, rain water or a spring but the water could not be drawn. This made the water fit for one to dip one's body into, according to Jewish law.)

Jerome and Clement, early Christian fathers, (during the 4th and 5th centuries) did not take a liking to bathing in public bath houses and discouraged it.

                     By Ryan Freisling, 2005. Public Domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/w.index.php?curid-479193

         During the medieval and renaissance periods the Roman-type bath houses were reintroduced and encouraged by Islamic countries. It's possible that the bath houses returned to western Europe from the Middle East due to the crusades.
          I'm sure you have all heard the saying, Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. And you've probably read those emails where they tell you how all of our sayings came about. This one goes that the people only bathed once a year and they bathed oldest to youngest, so by the time the baby was washed the water was black and they couldn't even see the child in the water. Thus, don't throw the baby out with the bath water!

However, medieval people did bathe depending on the time period and their place in society. The poor, or laborers, bathed less due to the fact they couldn't afford to have tubs, or purchase fuel to warm water; so their bathing was done more in the summer months when they could take a dip in a pond or a river.
In winter months when the weather was not as conducive for bathing, personal hygiene wasn't at its best, but washing of the hands before and after meals was common practice and good hygiene no matter what your social status.

Archimedes' Bath

          For the middle class, having the means to warm water for a tub was a status symbol, making it even more popular for that class to take baths.
          Even the wealthy who could afford the fuel to heat water usually had the tubs brought to the rooms to bathe, rather than construct the elaborate bath houses they had in the Middle East.

          So did bathing decline and if it did, when? It does seem that during the Renaissance period, people didn't bathe frequently. They worried that it was unhealthy and that perhaps it helped spread the plague. (People stopped everything that might cause the spread of the disease.)

          I have to say when I'm writing about medieval and 19th century times, I do like to have my heroes and heroines clean and with good hygiene regardless of whether it really was that way in history.

          What about you? Do you want history to always ring true or are there times that changing something is okay?

A Note from Debbie Lynne (On How to Enter this great giveaway!)

GIVEAWAY:

I’m giving away a copy of Sword of the Matchmaker! (Medieval romance and adventure).

Already purchased the book? Choose among any of my others for your free copy if you win.

HOW TO ENTER:
Leave a comment
OR: answer one of the questions I’ve asked
OR: ask me a question
That's it!

PLUS

Enter the rafflecopter drawing, too!
You could win more cool prizes including

A KINDLE FIRE!

(with Sword of the Matchmaker already uploaded)

PLUS a $15 Amazon gift card--and much more!

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE!

Penelope Beatty made up her mind long ago she would live and die a Scottish warrior not a wife. But when nearly all her clan is killed and she is betrayed, she loathes doing the unthinkable, but must seek the help of an Englishman who owed her father his life.

Thomas Godfrey never married, but when a Scottish warrior lass shows up needing his aid, he finds her both annoying and irresistible. But the last thing he wants is to marry a woman who fights alongside him. If he was going to marry—which he isn’t—it would be to a soft, submissive woman. But when the Lady Brithwin meets the Scottish lass, she’s sure she’s found the perfect match for Thomas and nothing is going to stop her from seeing a summer wedding.

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Check out Debbie Lynne's Other Fiction:
Sword of Forgiveness

After the death of her cruel father, Brithwin is determined never again to live under the harsh rule of any man. Independent and resourceful, she longs to be left alone to manage her father’s estate. But she soon discovers a woman has few choices when the king decrees she is to marry Royce, the Lord of Rosencraig. As if the unwelcome marriage isn’t enough, her new husband accuses her of murdering his family, and she is faced with a challenge of either proving her innocence or facing possible execution.

Royce of Hawkwood returns home after setting down a rebellion to find his family brutally murdered. When all fingers point to his betrothed and attempts are made on his life, Royce must wade through murky waters to uncover the truth. Yet Brithwin’s wise and kind nature begin to break down the walls of his heart, and he soon finds himself in a race to discover who is behind the evil plot before Brithwin is the next victim.

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Debbie Lynne Costello has enjoyed writing stories since she was eight years old. She raised her family and then embarked on her own career of writing the stories that had been begging to be told. She and her husband have four children and live in upstate South Carolina. She has worked in many capacities in her church and is currently the Children's Director. Debbie Lynne has shown and raised Shetland Sheepdogs for eighteen years and still enjoys litters now and then. In their spare time, she and her husband take pleasure in camping and riding their Arabian and Tennessee Walking horses.

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