#LookingBackat2015 Bloghop: Reading Angela B. Chrysler's Dolor and Shadow

UPDATE (12/31/25): Angela B. Chrysler's website is down due to maintenance. She is hosting the Looking Back at 2015 Blog Hop at the following Facebook Page:




Greetings!

For my share of the #Lookingbackat2015 Blog hop, I bring you the final episode of The Underworld TV. Yes, The Underworld TV is coming to an end, simply because it has run its course and it's time to move on and make changes. However, I will be announcing a new webseries and podcast after the new year, one that will allow me to encompass all my interests (or at least most of them). So stay tune for that announcement after the turn of 2016!

Now without further ado, in this final episode, I am reading another excerpt from the lovely Angela B. Chrysler's epic dark fantasy novel, Dolor and Shadow. As I said before, it seems like an excellent read, so definitely check it out. :)

Check out more of Angela B. Chrysler and her work at
http://angelabchrysler.com
http://www.angelabchrysler.com/featured-reads/dolor-and-shadow/





And as a side note, one of the newest films I act in, titled The Downfall of Mr. Difford, is now available for purchase! Check it out at http://ndsjefferson.storenvy.com/  I promise you, it's bloody good fun...

Also, check out Angela's interview with me, my review of 2015 for #LookingBackat2015:

http://www.angelabchrysler.com/tiffany-apan/ 

I will be talking to you all again next year! :)






Festive Spirit Blog Hop, Day 7: Angela B. Chrysler Reads an Excerpt from Descent (The Birthrite Series, #1)


Greetings!

I hope everyone is close to being done with all their shopping for the holidays!

And I bring you Day 7 of the #festivespiritbloghop.

One of the authors on this blog hop is Angela B. Chrysler. Yesterday, I did a reading of an excerpt from her dark fantasy book, Dolor and Shadow. In return she also did a reading from Descent (The Birthrite Series, #1).

I think she did a great job and it is always interesting to hear your words spoken by someone else. She and I will be doing another reading swap for a Looking Back at 2015 bloghop, but for now here is Angela's first reading of Descent:

 



And check out Angela's interview with me, my review of 2015:

http://www.angelabchrysler.com/tiffany-apan/













*****

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Paperback copies of Descent (The Birthrite Series, #1) and Sacred Atonement:Novelette (The Birthrite Series, # 1.5) available together for the low price of $21.00 at my Official Website


My music projects are available at CDBaby
My filmwork is on IMDb

"The Birthrite Series" and other books at Smashwords and Barnes & Noble NOOK
 My books and music are also on Amazon and iTunes
Tiffany on Goodreads
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Festive Spirit Blog Hop, Day 6: A Reading from Angela B. Chrysler's DOLOR AND SHADOW

Greetings!

For this 6th day of the #festivespiritbloghop, I bring you an episode of The Underworld TV. In this episode, I am reading an excerpt from the lovely Angela B. Chrysler's epic dark fantasy novel, Dolor and Shadow. It seems like an excellent read, so definitely check it out. :)

Check out more of Angela B. Chrysler and her work at
http://angelabchrysler.com
http://www.angelabchrysler.com/featured-reads/dolor-and-shadow/









And don't forget to check out the other authors involved with this #festivespiritbloghop:



And enter the rafflecopter for a chance to win a signed copy of Descent (The Birthrite Series, #1) along with a mystery gift! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway







Festive Spirit Blog Hop, Day 4: Christmas Shopping in the 19th Century and at an Alpaca Farm

Greetings,

Here is Day 4 of the #festivespiritbloghop.

First, here is an interview that author Francis Powell (who is also part of this blog hop) conducted with me. Check it out at the following link:

https://francishpowellwriter.wordpress.com/2015/12/19/tiffany-apans-2015/

Now, I want to share with you all a couple places I did some of my Christmas shopping at this year. First, we went to Old Economy Village's Christmas at the Village.

Sort of like what we do for the 18th century at the Depreciation Lands Museum, Old Economy Village brings history of the 19th century to life. Their event, Christmas at the Village is an evening event that allows you to walk their cobblestone streets by candlelight while shopping for handmade gifts from some really cool vendors.


Definitely looks like something straight out of a Charles Dickens novel. :)

Among the very awesome vendors I bought from that night, I met the Burns family, owners of an alpaca farm. They also sell yarn that is spun out of the wool from their alpacas, as well as knit items made from their spun yarn. I did buy a little something for my nephew, but today I paid their farm a visit to get a couple last minute items. And took some photos. :)








If you are interested in checking out more of what they have, visit their websites:

And check out the other awesome authors involved in the blog hop:




Enter my rafflecopter for a chance to win a signed copy of my book and a mystery gift. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway







*****

For first access to giveaways and other content not seen by the rest of the world, sign up for the free Messages from the Labyrinth Newsletter!

Paperback copies of Descent (The Birthrite Series, #1) and Sacred Atonement:Novelette (The Birthrite Series, # 1.5) available together for the low price of $21.00 at my Official Website


My music projects are available at CDBaby
My filmwork is on IMDb

"The Birthrite Series" and other books at Smashwords and Barnes & Noble NOOK
 My books and music are also on Amazon and iTunes
Tiffany on Goodreads
Support great authors and independent bookstores at Smashwords and Indiebound

Festive Spirit Blog Hop Day 3: Listen to my short story, The Cemetery by the Lake

Greetings,

Welcome to Day 3 of #festivespiritbloghop :)

In keeping with the ancient ghost story telling tradition of Christmases long past, I am giving you all the audiobook version of my short story, The Cemetery by the Lake. Narrated by the author. ;)
Enjoy!

And don't forget to check out the blogsites of the other amazing authors at the end. Also, enter for a chance to win a copy of my novel, Descent (The Birthrite Series, #1) along with a mystery gift. :)








a Rafflecopter giveaway  








*****

For first access to giveaways and other content not seen by the rest of the world, sign up for the free Messages from the Labyrinth Newsletter!

Paperback copies of Descent (The Birthrite Series, #1) and Sacred Atonement:Novelette (The Birthrite Series, # 1.5) available together for the low price of $21.00 at my Official Website


My music projects are available at CDBaby
My filmwork is on IMDb

"The Birthrite Series" and other books at Smashwords and Barnes & Noble NOOK
 My books and music are also on Amazon and iTunes
Tiffany on Goodreads
Support great authors and independent bookstores at Smashwords and Indiebound
 

Festive Spirit Blog Hop: Ghost Story Legend from Topeka, Kansas

Hi everyone,

Welcome to Day 1 of the #festivespiritbloghop!

Be sure to click on the link at the end of this article to check out all the other awesome authors involved. Also, enter the rafflecopter for a chance to win a signed copy of Descent (The Birthrite Series, #1) and a special mystery surprise!

Now onto the first posting. This article was originally posted at my online magazine, The Parting of Veils. Since ghost stories and legends were a popular staple in the more ancient Christmas celebrations, I felt this would be an appropriate start. :)

One night this passed Halloween season, I was watching Destination America and caught a few programs covering supposedly real life ghostly encounters. One legend in particular caught my attention, one that I had never heard of before until I was watching that program. And that was of a legend from Topeka, Kansas about a specter known as the Blue Albino Woman (or "Witch") haunting Rochester Cemetery, located on the northwest outskirts.

The legend tells of a disfigured woman born with bluish white skin, white hair, and whose eyes were also red, according to some reports. As a child, she was teased mercilessly by her classmates. Upon growing into adulthood, the teasing continued, mainly by the neighborhood children that feared her. During the day, she glared at them while they (the children) were on their way to school. Nightfall was when she would venture out and wander the town (due to her skin condition, going out in the sun reportedly caused her great pain, therefore resorting her to going out mainly at night). The friendless woman is said to have died in 1963 from mysterious circumstances. That was when residents began reports of seeing a glowing white female figure walking through the area after dark. The most frequent sightings seem to be along Shunganunga Creek, which flows near Rochester Cemetery where the woman was buried.

Several individuals are said to have had encounters with her, including some employees at a nearby Goodyear Tire Factory and residents that see the apparition quite often (sometimes as much as once a week). Some of those individuals were featured on the Destination America program I happened to catch. One of these individuals was a woman by the name of Jessica Streeter, who had ventured into the cemetery on her birthday for some romance and fun with her boyfriend. According to her interview on the program, she and her boyfriend were getting it on when the 'witch' came up from the ground and started chasing them. And not in an 'I'm just trying to scare you off' kind of way. According to the account, the witch seemed to be out for blood. In fact, Streeter was afraid of the possibility of the woman following them home. So much so, that she performed a sort of ritual at the door as a way of trying to fend the 'witch' off.

Another account featured on the program belonged to that of a man by the name of James George. 

Now interestingly, Mr. George himself commented on an article of the Blue Albino Woman as reported on the website Muldersworld.com. In his comment, he states that while what Destination America said on their show was based in fact, the producers did take some liberties. He then provided his own telling of his story.

One of the embellishments on Destination America's part that I immediately noticed upon reading George's recounting was when the program's report stated that the woman was captured and buried alive in the cemetery by a group of thugs (which is also re-reported by Muldersworld). However, George's telling (along with the tellings of others) states that she died under mysterious circumstances. So while the thug story could be possible, there doesn't seem to be any confirmation of that, at least as far as I could see.

Anyway, the version of George's account given by Destination America is as follows:

He was in a department store with his mother, shopping for back to school clothing. While shopping, he managed to wander into a rather dark corner of the store where a group of mannequins were being stored. As he was checking them out, one moved and turned to face him, turning out to be the blue albino woman. It was then he screamed, sending his grandmother running over to him. It was then his grandmother also saw the woman and told her that she was not welcomed there. Then she glided passed them and out the door.

Now here is an excerpt of George's story in his own words (you can read it in its entirety in his comment on the Muldersworld article or at artist-alley.net:

It was August of 1964 and I was trying on clothes in the dressing room of the children's department on the second floor of Pelletier's Department store which my Grandmother was Manager of. It was time for me to get my new school clothes. School was going to start soon and I would be entering the second grade.
Suddenly the door to the dressing room flew open and there stood a tall veiled woman dressed entirely in black. Her red eyes were visible through the dark veil as she reached out a gloved hand towards me. As the arm came closer I saw with horror the pale almost bluish flesh of the arm between her sleeve and glove. I let out a scream and she froze in her movement. Appearing behind the tall frightening figure was the small stature of my Grandmother. Summing up the situation quickly my Grandmother forcibly ordered, "Leave! You are not welcomed here!" The veiled woman slowly turned as I crouched back against the wall. I heard my Grandmother repeat, "You are not welcomed here." She then ordered, "Now leave!" The tall figure with the red eyes and bluish skin silently glided past my Grandmother and towards the stair well. I ran to my Grandmothers arms and watched, along with the employees that had come running when I screamed, the frightening figure descend the stairs and quickly disappear.
I was to learn later that this was the Albino Woman who had died the next year. I was not to learn until four years later why she had sought me out...
 


Again, you can check out the entirety of his story (and it is quite interesting) in the comments section at Muldersworld.com or at artist-alley.net (you can also see an image of his painting featuring the blue albino woman).
Other reports include drivers seeing her lurking in the Rochester Cemetery at night, prowling the interior woodlands near the cemetery and the creek. Some children have even reported waking up late at night to seeing her gazing into their windows.
So if you happen to be driving by the Rochester Cemetery in Topeka late at night, you just might catch a glimpse of the legendary Blue Albino Woman, also referred to some as the Witch of Topeka, Kansas.



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*****

For first access to giveaways and other content not seen by the rest of the world, sign up for the free Messages from the Labyrinth Newsletter!

Paperback copies of Descent (The Birthrite Series, #1) and Sacred Atonement:Novelette (The Birthrite Series, # 1.5) available together for the low price of $21.00 at my Official Website


My music projects are available at CDBaby
My filmwork is on IMDb

"The Birthrite Series" and other books at Smashwords and Barnes & Noble NOOK
 My books and music are also on Amazon and iTunes
Tiffany on Goodreads
Support great authors and independent bookstores at Smashwords and Indiebound
 

Three Widely Spread Historical Myths Debunked: Bathing, Death by Petticoat, and Pregnancy was Gross

Hey all,

I know I've been writing about some pretty heavy topics lately and today, I wanted to still keep to the subjects of what I've been doing but lightening it up a little (but I still want you to to keep Lie Spotting, Generalizing, and the first part of my Morality post in mind as you read these).

But before I do, I wanted to announce that I will be participating in another author blog hop starting on the 16th. And I might be raffling off another copy of Descent. So stay tuned...


http://francishpowellauthor.weebly.com/festive-spirit-blog-hop.html

Now, onto visiting and debunking a few historical myths, these three particularly popular.

In past postings, I've mentioned Mary Miley Theobald's book, Death by Petticoat: American History Myths Debunked.





 She also has a website, History Myths Debunked, also dedicated to seeing that historical myths are stopped in their tracks. She is a historian who works for Colonial Williamsburg, has written many columns for publications including Virginia Living, The History Channel Magazine, and American Heritage. She also taught museum studies and American History at Virginia Commonwealth University for thirteen years. Death by Petticoat is one of four books she has written and it appears in many mercantile stores at historical sites.
While the book has been criticized for the lack of sources cited within the pages, Ms. Theobald has commented that she and her publishers wanted it to be more of a fun read, sort of an impulse type of buy in museum stores. However, if you visit her website, History Myths Debunked (where she also discusses the myths mentioned in Death by Petticoat), you will see several sources she likely used in her research.

So with that said, let's get on with it, shall we? :)

MYTH #1 (and a personal favorite of mine because it's just that hilarious): "People didn't bathe back then!" or "They only bathed once a year!"

Once upon a time, long ago, a group of people went about their daily lives, doing what they do best: frolicking about happily while caked in dirt and grime, shitting and pissing everywhere to their heart's content and without a care in the world.
Then something happened. One winters night on December 31 in the year 1899, the clock struck midnight and BOOM! It was the year 1900! The turn of the 20th century!

YAY! Happy New Year!

Everyone was partying!

But then...

"Good God!" one gentleman said. "What is that AWFUL stench?"
One of the ladies sniffed the air and cringed. "Gee...I don't know...but it sure is terrible...horrid...ungodly..."
"Wait a bloody second..." the gentle said, sniffing the air again before realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "Good Lord in Heaven...it's US!"
Another gentleman was standing nearby, a look of horror crossing his face. "Are you certain, my good man?" he said to the first gentleman.
The first gentleman looked around him and slowly nodded.
Silence engulfed the room and it became so quiet that a pin dropping would easily have been heard. Realization spread throughout the room and the stench that never seemed to have bothered them before (in fact they used to find the overpowering smell quite pleasant) was suddenly unbearable.
"My God..." the lady said. "We are FILTHY! And we smell so horridly! You mean all this time...?"
The second gentleman shook his head in disbelief, on the verge of collapsing to the floor in a fit of convulsions as the grease caking his hair was suddenly a bother to him. "Why oh WHY did someone not tell us!?"
The first gentleman placed a grimy, hand on the younger man's shoulder. "We didn't know, son...we just didn't know..."
With that sudden burst of enlightenment, everyone ran in a massive panic - dodging the festering piles of human excrement and pools of urine that also suddenly became repulsive in this moment - to the nearest river or anyplace they were able to get their hands on water (which they magically knew would serve in getting them clean) and scrubbed away the many, many, many years of filth.
And from that point on, human civilization finally started to bathe regularly and everyone lived happily ever after.

THE END

Okay, obviously that story is an exaggeration, but with the way some people talk, one would think that this is exactly how it happened. People went for centuries without bathing (or only bathed once a year, depending on who was telling the story) and then suddenly, the 20th century rolled around and people magically realized that they were dirty and smelled bad. And the "no bathing" myth is one that I'm sure everyone has heard as it is one of the more repeated stories.
In Death by Petticoat, Ms. Theobald explains that if "to bathe" means sitting down and fully submerging oneself in a tub of water and washing, then yes, the no bathing or only bathing once a year thing could be considered true. Back before indoor plumbing was a regular thing (SIDE NOTE: there is actually evidence of indoor plumbing systems in ancient Rome as well as many European medieval castles which I will get to in a later post), filling a tub of water was a very labor heavy task. If anyone did this even remotely regularly, it was usually the very wealthy since they had servants to carry buckets of water and boil it over a fire. But even then, the typical bath was not easy to do as often as it is today. And while indoor showers (or "shower baths") were invented during the mid 19th century, it wasn't very common to find them inside homes until the 20th century. So what was everyone to do?
Well, first of all, hygiene habits likely varied just as they do today (I'm sure we've all found ourselves standing beside someone that made us think "Okay, when was the last time you showered?") and I'm sure that gross people have always existed. But if anything, most people washed their hands and faces daily. In fact, look at a painting of a male figure from the 18th century. A lot of times, the man is clean shaven, which does involve at least washing one's face. To bathe all over, sponge baths were the typical choice, usually with a bowel of water and towel in the bedroom, powder room or washroom (typically any room or area that might offer some form of privacy).
And just how well did this work, you ask? Well, as the ladies of Frockflicks.com point out, if sponge baths are good enough for patients in medical facilities, then it probably worked pretty well hundreds of years ago.
So while people did keep themselves clean, it is true that full water immersion wasn't what was done on a regular basis. But saying that "people didn't bathe back then" gives the impression that not only was bathing not the norm but that no one even washed at all. Which is indeed false.

History Myths Debunked: "People only bathed once a year"
Frock Flicks: The Gross 18th Century, Calling Bullshit on Hygiene Myths
18th Century Hair Care


MYTH #2: "Many women died when their petticoats caught fire by standing too close to their fireplace, making it the second leading cause of death"

Because they didn't realize that fire was hot and had the ability to burn things...?

Seriously, let's think about this for a moment. Fire has been used as a light source, among other uses, since the dawn of mankind. Think of all the things used to light evening bonfires, cook meals over campfires and hearths. And burning a condemned person alive had also been a form of execution in much of the world at one time. So with all that, you're going to try to tell me that people were so horribly unenlightened and so naive that they didn't know that getting too close to a roaring fire was dangerous and could result in serious injury or even death?
While I, as well as others in the history world, are sure that horrible accidents such as this did happen, it wasn't nearly as often as many seem to make it out to be. For a couple reasons:

1. Just plain common sense! I mean, try placing your fingers too close to a hot stove or something cooking on a hearth or campfire. You're going to learn pretty quickly just how hot things can get over a fire.

2. Linen and wool (or cotton if you lived in the south) were the standard choices for material used to make clothing. Linen - spun from flax - is a very durable material and breaths quite well during hot summer months. Wool is also very durable and works amazingly at keeping a person warm during the cold winter months. And these two materials are so durable that they actually don't catch fire as quickly as many synthetic modern materials do. In fact, wool is even more fire repellent than linen, which is why some historical re-enactment books and sources recommend that female re-enactors wear a wool petticoat if working by a fire. Should a spark catch a linen or wool petticoat, the material will smolder but not burst into flame, therefore giving the individual time to put it out.

History Myths Debunked: "Burning to death from their long petticoats catching fire was the leading cause of death for colonial American women, second to child birth"


MYTH #3: "Women secluded themselves indoors during pregnancy."

My, my, we've come a long way, haven't we? Pregnant women are no longer seen as disgusting and vile creatures. Let us take a moment to revel in our 21st century superiority.

Now that we all feel more enlightened and holier than thou, I will say that I can give this one a slight pass. This is one of those myths that depends on things like time period, location/geography and the culture of a given area. However, back in the day, pregnant (or "expecting" or "with child") women did venture out a lot more than many in this day and age tend to believe, particularly in the American colonial and Victorian eras. There is little evidence to support the claim, but there were some women that did seclude themselves for a while following the birth of a child (though it seems that was mainly by personal choice) and there were clothing articles used to cover a 'baby bump.' But if you really think about it, poor and middle-class women had too much work to do that staying indoors and secluding themselves during pregnancy almost wasn't even an option. And wealthy women who  could afford it simply didn't want to, at least for a large part.
Yes, pregnant women did enjoy active social lives (ample evidence provided by letters and diaries of the times) and going about their daily business.

History Myths Debunked: "In the colonial era, women secluded themselves during pregnancy"


So there you have it. Three historical and often repeated myths. I will be returning with the next Vixen recap and part 2 of Our Oh So Moral Society.







*****

For first access to giveaways and other content not seen by the rest of the world, sign up for the free Messages from the Labyrinth Newsletter!

Paperback copies of Descent (The Birthrite Series, #1) and Sacred Atonement:Novelette (The Birthrite Series, # 1.5) available together for the low price of $21.00 at my Official Website


My music projects are available at CDBaby
My filmwork is on IMDb

"The Birthrite Series" and other books at Smashwords and Barnes & Noble NOOK
 My books and music are also on Amazon and iTunes
Tiffany on Goodreads
Support great authors and independent bookstores at Smashwords and Indiebound

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