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Lucien Fewell shot James Clark after he apparently ran off with Lucien's 16-year-old sister. The murder trial that followed featured two Confederate generals and a former Virginia governor. What was the verdict? (also on Amazon.com)
Category Archives: Nonfiction
Hot Lava
Everyone has heard of Pompeii, I think. (At least, you should have.) Wiped out by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, it’s one of the more famous natural-disaster tourist attractions. But did you know that Mount Vesuvius wasn’t content with that … Continue reading
Posted in History, Nonfiction
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It’s Official!
It only took a year or so, but I can officially say that my book will see the light of day! I am now the proud signer of a contract with Open Books, which produces a whole swath of interesting material. … Continue reading
Posted in Nonfiction, Perseverance, Publishing
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Today in 1872: Dry Milk Day
If you love Doritos, Kraft Mac and Cheese, or powdered cheese popcorn, you can thank Samuel Percy. On this date in 1872, Dr. Percy patented the process to create dried (or powdered) milk, which eventually gave rise to all that … Continue reading
Dropping the Ball
Well, I missed last week’s window to blog. I wish I could say it was because I was working so hard on the book, or so absorbed in reading someone else’s, but the truth is I was just flat lazy … Continue reading
Posted in Excused Absence, Nonfiction, Process
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It’s History, Not Hzzzz…..
I finished Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy last night and absolutely loved it. Partly, I loved it because it was sort of like visiting old friends—both main characters and secondary—and learning a lot more about them than I knew before. (The … Continue reading
Posted in Nonfiction, Reading
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This Is How We Do It…
I just finished Michael Ross’s The Great New Orleans Kidnapping Case, and I’m so glad I read it, for so many reasons. First, it is just a really good book. The writing is not particularly beautiful language, it’s very journalistic … Continue reading
Posted in Nonfiction
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Advances on Several Fronts
I saw some baby-step advances on the book this week, though they came from unlikely places, and none of them really involved Actual Writing. First, my beta reader contacted me saying she liked what she saw, but she is drawing up copious … Continue reading
Posted in Nonfiction, Reading
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The First Step Is Realizing You Have a Problem
I have been procrastinating on the nonfiction book. Well-Intentioned Husband asked why last night and made me actually think about the answer. I finally realized (perhaps rationalized) that my sticking point is the lack of a first-rate intelligence, per F. … Continue reading
Posted in Doldrums, Nonfiction, Personalities
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News, Both Fresh and Dated
Between vacations, the end of the fiscal year at work, and a pretty dramatic paradigm shift in my own writing-for-fun, I’ve been neglecting ye olde writing blog again. Time to fix that. First: I am pleased and proud to announce … Continue reading
Posted in Nonfiction, Process, Shout-outs
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Arwen Adams Bicknell 