The online home of fantasy author and knitwear designer Sophia Beaumont
Diabetes--both Type 1 & Type 2--are very common diseases in the US today. Changes in diet and lifestyle have led to an increase of Type 2 diagnoses in the past few decades. If, for some reason you aren't familiar with diabetes or the difference between the two forms, I'll give you a minute to check… Continue reading Would this Kill Me in the 1800s: Diabetes
Small and neat, she wore a mauve and gray plaid skirt and matching vest and jacket. Her light brown hair was braided over the top of her forehead, and a snood of the same pristine white as her blouse covered the bun at her nape. The crinoline under her skirt was of a modest width;… Continue reading Kate Warne Vs. Lydia Perry
Continuing the theme of "The Victorians were weird and morbid" I have another Christmas tradition for you, one many of you might be familiar with but don't know the origin of: The Christmas Pickle. In Germany and some parts of Eastern Europe, it is tradition to hang a pickle ornament somewhere on the tree. It's… Continue reading Pickle Tree
I've said it before, and I will say it again: The Victorians were weird. They had some crazy traditions, from medically prescribed vibrators to electric corsets, but probably the most well known of their weird ideas is their obsession with death. Entire books have been written about death and mourning culture in the 19th century, and… Continue reading The Creepiest Dolls in History
Last week I did a miniature version of this post on Twitter, but I thought it might be night be nice to put it all in one semi-comprehensive post. In the 1800s, the Christmas season was a big deal. This was due in large part to the work of Charles Dickens, whose work brought a… Continue reading Season’s Greetings, Victorian Style
Colleen moved the end table from the chair by the fire behind me, arranging the empty basin and other tools she would need. She began by letting down the plait. With a towel wrapped about my shoulders, she applied a mixture of egg yolk, rosemary, and water with a brush. She piled my hair on… Continue reading Victorian Hair Care
One of the most exciting things about ALL FOR ONE is that it effectively kicks off the next phase of my career. It's not that I'm abandoning urban fantasy. But I am returning to my first love--historical fiction. Now obviously, we're talking history with a twist here. Whether it's creating a theoretical alternate history, or… Continue reading Top Non-Fiction Picks: Civil War edition
A couple of weeks ago a posted a list of documentaries I've been watching on Youtube. My documentary kick continues, so here are a few more you might enjoy. A few of them are quite long, so there's several hours of viewing time here. The Civil War and Its Dead This documentary shows a lot… Continue reading History in Pictures, part II
Warning: This post is about to get political. I spent the 4th of July watching WWII movies. The world had become a terrifying place. In the last two years we have seen so many awful changes in the US. There's more violence. People struggle to meet ends meet as industries not supported by the current… Continue reading What’s Old is Now New Again
Just a personal list of a few favorites I've read over the years. All links go to Amazon for the sake of ease, but I do highly encourage you to buy from your local indie bookstore, if possible. In no particular order: 1. The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum I love Deborah Blum; she has… Continue reading Top 10 Nonfiction Books
