If you are, visit The Belmont Mansion Novels page on my website, and you'll see the five statues Adelicia bought while on her grand tour of Europe, along with some other glimpses of the mansion and its history.
I am absolutely LOVING writing about antebellum mansions and weaving a ton of real life history into these stories filled with actual characters who lived and breathed. But I have to tell you… It's a tad intimidating at times.
Because even though I've poured over letters and diaries and newspaper accounts, etc... and definitely have a sense of "knowing" these people, still…over one hundred and forty years separate us so I don't have the luxury of sitting down with those people and truly getting to know them. Or of just "making up their history" as what seems best to me. These people lived. They made choices that had eternal consequences. They have descendants who are reading these books. And these "characters" are very real to me, even more so than usual, with good reason.
One thing that helps me so much is to spend time in their homes. You get a sense of who someone is/was when you visit their home, when you look at what they spent money on, what they deemed as valuable, what they prized, and in reading the letters they wrote to each other [that they, of course, had no idea would be broadcast to the world. Now that's humbling feeling, isn't it? What if the emails you wrote were someday published in a book? Ack!] All of these things say a great deal about a person.
Have you ever been to a historical setting and then felt as if that gave you better perspective into who that person was who lived there? If so, please share!
Tammy
P.S. One more thing I want to tell you about… A contest from Terri Blackstock!
What a great opportunity! Please pass this link along to someone you think it might bless!
Tammy, I'm a step ahead of you today XD I saw the info on the Belmont just a few days back, I believe it was...and gobbled up the information! I love how you've intertwined history and fiction in "A Lasting Impression"...and can't wait for the next one! I think what I like best is that I can then go visit the places you write about and learn more about the family :-) Thank you for making history alive for us!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Catherine! I love history that breathes. ; )
DeleteDitto to what Catherine just posted, thanks for making history alive to us. After reading 'A Lasting Impression" I was inspired to read more on Adelicia...very interesting woman.
ReplyDeleteWaiting patiently for your next book woman, so get with it! ;-)
Veronica
I'm not anonymous...the website is not giving me an option to use my google acct to sign off like I normally do for some reason...CRAZY!
ReplyDeleteHow strange, Veronica. I'm guessing that this is something new from Google and blogspot. Because I've never been able to leave a specific comment on a reply before. But was given that option today. Hmmm... We'll see how this plays out.
DeleteAnd thanks for being patient on this next book. :) I'm getting there!
Well, I have to try this out since I see they're doing something else that's new and different on blogger. Loved seeing the pictures of the Belmont, but it's so much more lovely in person. And I agree that visiting the home and/or homes where our characters might have (or did) live, is such a valuable and fun experience, and is one of the reasons I have enjoyed visiting the Amana Colonies so frequently. :)
ReplyDeleteWas so fun to tour Belmont with you, Judy! Next time, we'll do more of the mansions. ;)
DeleteIt is being weird/new/different. Now when I click "comments," it takes me to the bottom of the blog for me to read the comments and to make a new one. Plus, it's saying there are 9 comments...but only six are available. Oh well :-) Maybe Rosie can comment now! :-D
ReplyDeleteCatherine! If this comment makes it through it will be a bonus! As you will see at the bottom of my comments,I AM STILL having to verify those dreadful LETTERS!! Mostly, they are completely UNREADABLE!! Can you tell I am frustrated? I AM!!!!! I hope it doesn't mean that I am coming to the end as far as making a comment, but it is looking that way for sure. I will see how I go.
DeleteOh no!! You can't stop commenting! What would we do without you? :-(
DeleteWell if this gets through first up, I'll eat my hat!!
DeleteAll up with the comments I have made today, I have had about fourteen attempts,so as you can see I am a little despondent. Just to get this comment through will take at least three or four attempts. I can tell you I will miss you all so much if I can't communicate!:(
Rosie, don't eat your hat just yet (though that MIGHT be entertaining... ), Robin and I are checking into things to see what might have changed. Quick question though: are you SIGNED INTO YOUR GOOGLE ACCOUNT when you're commenting today?
DeleteI sign into Google everytime Tam. When I push "publish" it automatically goes to Google . I sign in and then up comes another Google page ,telling me of the new changes to Google. I then have to press the "back" button. I wait awhile and up comes "Back to Writes." I then press "Publish". and I get these crazy undecipherable letters, with the comment asking me to prove I am not a ROBOT! Lord help me!!
DeleteAs I made a comment to you just now, saying I had at least fourteen attempts all up for the four comments I had made today, but on top of that,my last comment to Catherine took at least five attempts or more. I lost count! What do I do?
Is it because I don't have a profile pic on view? I chose not to do that ,as I had a very nasty experience once before,and I don't really wish to go down that track again! The repercussions were soul destroying!
If you can help me with any suggestions I would be truly grateful!!!
Ooh, I'm delighted to see Blogger going to this type of comment form. It's how my Write Thinking blog works, and I love it. Not sure why some are having trouble with it. I do know that Veronica's first comments went into the spam filter and I had to mark them as "not spam" to get them to show up. Not sure why, but we will all try to make sure we check the filters more often.
ReplyDeleteOh, and another good post, Tammy.
Thanks, and honestly, I like this! Great to be able to reply more concisely.
DeleteHey ladies...needing prayers over here. I think I've mentioned several times Erik's mom going through cancer. Since it was found in '06, she's gone through two series of radiation, and two series of chemo. Erik's father called on Thursday and told him that Mom D has been having numbness in the face and lips. They found one/some of the cancer cells in her neck pressing on a bundle of nerves. They started radiation on Friday. Erik called on Friday to check up on how Mom D was doing. Dad D told Erik that Mom is asking him to fly out there to Texas. We started to schedule it a month out to coincide with my spring break, but Dad's response was "that's a month out...can you come sooner?" As a side note, Erik has a younger brother who is a senior in high school, so Ian's right there dealing with it...and he does not express his feelings ever, so we don't know how he's doing.
ReplyDeleteErik's NEVER been asked to fly out there...so we're wondering if it's worse then they're letting us know...but if so, why would they ask for only him to come? The thing that broke my heart was on Thursday when we got word about more radiation, Erik looked at me and said "she's never going to be well, is she?" For the first time, I think he's beginning to lose hope... Please pray for strength. We pray for God's will...but we also pray that He will heal her here on earth...
And Tammy, as an update to what I messaged you, this morning, Erik and I were talking and he said that he thinks he's really beginning the grieving process. We don't think she's dying, but we know so little...
Covering you guys in prayer, Catherine. And thank you for sharing this with us. So appreciate the community we have here.
DeleteCatherine, I did make a comment to you at the bottom of the page when I posted my first comment to blogger today.
DeleteJust in case you missed it, I want you to know that I have you,Erik and family in my Prayers.
Love Rosie
I love to tour old places and reflect on the lives of those who once lived there. I even do this in old cemeteries as I read the gravestones and try to imagine what the lives represented by those dates were like. Our home is 102 years old, and I often wonder about the people who once lived here. I feel in someway our lives have been joined as my husband and I have taken up the legacy of this old place.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely check out your site, Tammy and view those paintings. I know I've told you before, but I LOVED A Lasting Impression (and even got another copy to give one of my sisters!). ~ When we visit Jekyll Island every year we always have breakfast at The Jekyll Club one morning. Oh my! You can just FEEL the history as you walk through the same hallways and rooms where those wealthy folks lived many years ago. ~ Also, I'm eager to learn the history of the home where my Amy married in December (it was built in the 1820s)--so gorgeous! ~ Catherine, lifting you, Erik, and his family up in prayer, and sending a HUG to you. ~ Thanks again for sharing today, Tammy! Hugs, Patti Jo :)
ReplyDeleteBless you, Patti Jo! I remember that house you mentioned from pictures of the wedding. Lovely place! Would love to know the history of that home too.
DeleteTammy! I loved reading your post and I did click on your link and view your pics. They were fabulous. I visualised myself descending the Grand Staircase..Queen Rosie.:)
ReplyDeleteI also went into the site of Belmont Mansion and ...oh those magnificent rooms! I can see we are going to be busy next year visiting all these wonderful places, thanks to all you lovely ladies with your great history lessons! I have noted them all down and have a bucket list longer than both arms!:)
I did wonder why all those arches on either side of the Mansion(in the original picture) had to be changed. Were they unsafe? The architecture looks quite different to the original, but neverthless, the Mansion and it's surroundings look gorgeous!
Thanks Tam for a great post as usual!
NOW we'll see if Blogger loves Aussies...here's hoping!!!
Still had those terrible letters to combat...four attempts today! Why are some people getting them and others not?
Delete@ Catherine ..HOPING this comes through to you dear one!
DeleteYou,Erik and family are in my Prayers!
Love Rosie
Hey Rosie! I "hear" you loud and clear, lady. And the arches weren't unsafe, it was simply that when the mansion was turned into a school for women in the late 1800s, portions of the structure underwent renovation and some of the original architecture was lost. Sad... But it's still a lovely home!
DeleteSorry you're having problems commenting. Is anyone else getting those letters you have to type in? I wonder if it's some "cross countries?"
Thank you, Rosie!! :-)
DeleteTam! maybe it IS "cross countries", but this little lady is getting"crosser" all the time! All up I had made about fourteen attempts to get my four comments through and my last one to Catherine was at least five attempts. Some of the letters were so badly defined, that I just ignored them and kept pressing "publish" until some readable ones came up! Oh dear!!
DeleteThank you for your prayers, precious ladies! I talked to Mom D today and she has 10 days of radiation. I believe today is Day 3. She does have headaches because of it. Specific prayer requests: PET scan after radiation is done...pray that nothing else shows up. She thinks the cancer was activated by a horrible virus she had right after Christmas. Also, she will have a Lumbar Puncture...she's asking we pray it comes out clear. Her doctor has the medication for the next step if it's needed, but when I asked about it, she said it's horrible and for us to pray it's not needed. She didn't want to talk about it.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, that's the update per my phone call with her today. I love you girls!!
Thanks for the update, Catherine. Praying...
DeleteCatherine, I'm praying for your mom-in-love as well as you and Erik. It's hard when someone you love suffers... May God grant comfort to all of you and healing to your MIL.
DeleteTam! Did you by any chance see my reply to your question to me re Google?
ReplyDeleteneed your advice sweet lady!
Hey Rosie! I tweaked one thing in our set up and have written Goggle about it but haven't heard back yet. Are you still having issues, friend?
ReplyDelete