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I mentioned on the fan
page that I was asked to be on the cover of a new book- the first in the
series- coming out soon!
This is the first cover I
have accepted and I am really excited! I love the idea of a fictional series
and historical mystery novel that deals with everyday life circumstances, class,
family, and COSMETICS!
Steph Cain- has skillfully
created an enticing historical novel with a female heroine. What I really
appreciate is that Steph has made a considerable effort to make the novel as
historically accurate as possible. She does point out, on her blog, that she is
not an expert, and welcomes discussions amongst those with an interest in 18th
century colonial America. So please feel free to start a discussion after
getting acquainted with the characters on her blog.
The series is titled: 'Murder and
other Alements’
It is set in the colony of
New York in 1763.
Meet Verity Partridge
A unique girl with a
unique name that came from an upper middle class family and married for love
against her families wishes. Her late husband owned and ran a successful
brewery, which she took over after his death.
“She could already hear what he ( her father) was going to say. …She
wondered if he might be right….It was high time for her to come to her senses!
She must immediately sell her late husband’s brewery and move home where she
belonged. She had
heard it before. Entirely too many
times.”
Verity
desires to preserve the family business until her eldest son would be able to take the brewery over. Like many women of the time, She discovers that she possesses a
genuine gift for business. Will she be cunning enough to make that happen?
Verity,
like many widowed colonial women kept her husbands business running while still
running her family. She reminds me a lot of a woman named Mary Alexander
(1693-1760) who also lived in Colonial New York – a bit before Verity. I like
to think… paving the way for her.
Mary
Alexander
In 1711, she married Samuel
Prevoost an importer who died around 1720. Together they had 3 children and ran
a mercantile business specializing in “haberdashery”. We know she helped run
the business because we have records of her purchasing stock for their store.
She, like Verity possessed
a genuine gift for business. After
her 1st husband died she continued to run the shop and remarried James Alexander, an attorney & politician.
They had 7 more kids – only 5 lived to adult hood. This amazing woman continued to run her first husbands store- which was located
on Broad Street in NY City. Mary Alexander became one of the leading merchants
in New York City. She died in 1760.
 |
| Mary Alexander (1693-1760) |
British-America Laws
In the18th century British-America laws were in place that did not allow married women to own
property. They could not sue or even sign contracts and yet, many women ran and
managed their own businesses, using their name and/or the name of their husband.
This was very common in Verity’s situation as she was widowed. Naturally she
had the option of taking over her husbands business after he passed, but some of the older generation - like her father- thought it improper.
Mix all this daily life into an
awesome mystery case and you have something that resembles- Miss Marple. Which I Love!
Verity has to go visit her father in
a strange emergency situation and comes to find out his housekeeper has
mysteriously run away. Verity finds some really strange clues around her
father’s large estate. Therein is where the mystery lies. Could it be Murder???
In my opinion, this novel also has a
hint of the 1740 novel titled- Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded. Which is why I found Steph
Cain’s novel so intriguing. I am thrilled to be providing the cover. It’s a
wonderfully good mystery told with whit and humor!
Follow her on her blog: Verity Chronicles and I’ll keep you abreast of updated information as well. The book
will be published on Amazon. I Can’t Wait.
Sources:
Blog of the NY historical Society Library
Follow Me:
I can't wait to read it. It's been forever since I've read any historical fiction. Sounds cool! And Kudos to you...you 18th c. supermodel!!!
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