Happy Holidays All!

















*****






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) are available for the low price of $17.00 at my Official Website

My store and product line, Antiquity & Illusion is now available online at my website's store and at Storevny. If your a first time visitor, enter the coupon code, ANTIQUITY for 15% off of your entire first order. Note that this discount is only available at the website store. I will be setting something up for the Storenvy site very soon. :)

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

Free Christmas Single!

Hello friends,
Each year, I try to do a special YouTube Living Room Music Session at around Christmas time and my good friend, Chuck Owston​ has always been kind enough to take part in these. This was the very first session that he and I did a few Christmases ago. The song we did was the old English folk song said to have been written by King Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn when they were courting. It was offered as a free single at its release, and I am offering it again for free this Christmas season. It will be available until February 1, 2017. So swing on by the page and add it to your holiday/winter solstice playlist!









*****
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) are available for the low price of $17.00 at my Official Website

My store and product line, Antiquity & Illusion is now available online at my website's store and at Storevny. If your a first time visitor, enter the coupon code, ANTIQUITY for 15% off of your entire first order. Note that this discount is only available at the website store. I will be setting something up for the Storenvy site very soon. :)

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

Sons of Heros Author Takeover Event!

Good morning all!
I am happy to announce that I am part of this book release event, presented by Brain to Books this Sunday. A few of us authors in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Dark Fantasy realm are doing author takeovers, each for an hour where we will also be discussing our own works. My time slot will be 3pm (I will be taking about The Birthrite and other things I'm working on), so be sure to head over to the Facebook event page and join the conversation this Sunday with some amazing authors. And check out Stars of Heros by Ani H. Manjikian. :)

Have a great day,


Tiffany









*****






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) are available for the low price of $17.00 at my Official Website

My store and product line, Antiquity & Illusion is now available online at my website's store and at Storevny. If your a first time visitor, enter the coupon code, ANTIQUITY for 15% off of your entire first order. Note that this discount is only available at the website store. I will be setting something up for the Storenvy site very soon. :)

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

NEW BOOK SAMPLE: Chapter 2 of Kindred (The Birthrite Series, #2)

Hi all,

Hope everyone had a great weekend! On Thursday, I was at a Christmas event with the museum. We had a display and I discussed folk and herb healing while wearing 18th century attire (this week I will be editing photo and video of the events I've been doing...I'm WAY behind on that). I also had a great gig yesterday with my historical music group at a reenactors Christmas party and tomorrow, I'm starting a fitness challenge with a new fitness challenge group. I am blogging all about that journey on my new fitness blog if you want to follow me. :)

For those that follow me on Facebook, I promised another excerpt of Kindred (The Birthrite Series, #2) if I was feeling generous. :P And I am! Here is Chapter 2!

I will still revise it at least once more before release (I'll be announcing an actual release date here soon) but this is basically it. :)

And as I did with the previous sample, I do have a jump cut just before the excerpt as there are spoilers for those that haven't yet read or are currently reading Descent (The Birthrite Series, #1). But if you've already read Descent or haven't read it completely through yet but don't mind spoilers, read after the jump. :)


Preface and Chapter 1 of Kindred (The Birthrite Series, #2)...

Hello all,

I hope you all are having a great holiday season! My 40% discount at my store is still going on until tomorrow. Simply visit http://officialtiffanyapanstore.bigcartel.com and enter the coupon code BLACKFOREST at check out!

Now I give you another preview of Kindred (The Birthrite Series, #2). There is a jump break after the Preface, as Chapter 1 does include spoilers (and some parts of the chapter might be NSFW). But if you've read Descent (The Birthrite Series, #1) or if you don't mind spoilers, read on! Enjoy the preview and stay tuned for a release date soon. :)

KINDRED (THE BIRTHRITE SERIES, #2) Preview:

PREFACE
Florence, Italy
1856

In the dim light of a small studio, an elderly artisan pondered his most recently completed work. He smiled slightly and decided to give the canvas a final brush stroke. This subtle addition was indeed what the new portrait needed to be complete and finished.
Satisfied, the old man rose from the chair he was seated in, knowing that his apprentice would arrive at any moment to travel it to a Tuscan seaport.
The artist knew of the ship on which this portrait was to board. La Suerte was a newly built vessel, having just been launched on her maiden voyage in that same year. She was no ordinary ship and this would be her only year carrying his paintings to where they needed to be. She had a destiny but for this time being, she was what he – along with the subjects of his paintings - needed. And she needed them, as the energy of her passengers was what fueled her (as though they were part of her).
With great care, he packaged the painting, taking a final moment to gaze into the eyes of the middle-aged man whose image was on the canvas. This particular work had not been commissioned, but he knew that the public figure in America would be most appreciative. In his mind's eye, he could see this new work hanging inside the main hall of a library, one located in a little town just outside the city of New York. It was the same small town for which he created a statue to be part of a fountain in the town’s park.
He smiled at the thought of that statue acting as a beacon of light for the town. Of all his highly sought after works, the seraph statue was among his very best, even if he had to say so himself.
As the elderly man was placing the final protective wrappings on his parcel, he heard a knock at the door. He turned, bidding his visitor to enter. The door opened, revealing the old man's young apprentice. No words were exchanged between the two, for there was no need. Both knew what had to be done and why.
The young man departed for the seaport, leaving the artisan alone again in the studio. The old man walked over to the other side of the modest room, regarding three other shrouded canvases, portraits that were unfinished. He was in no hurry to finish these and knew that when the time was right, they would be complete. He also knew well of the individuals whose images were being formed upon those canvases.
Three individuals that were not of his world.

Though, in a way, they are...


Lynn Riggs and The Cherokee Night...

More history that is almost never talked about (and this one is also for my theater friends):

Many are familiar with the musical Oklahoma as being one of Rogers & Hammerstein's more famous works. But did you know that they only adapted it from a musical written by a playwright of Native American descent by the name of Lynn Riggs?
Riggs - a man of Cherokee descent on his mother's side - wrote the original "Oklahoma" under the original title of "Green Grow the Lilacs." Lilacs went to Broadway in 1931 and starred Tex Ritter and June Walker. It was also nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
Much of Riggs's plays involved characters of mixed Native and European descent as he was. This included Green Grow the Lilacs where many of the main characters were mixed.
Another of Riggs's more popular plays was one called The Cherokee Night, which followed the lives of Americans who were of Cherokee and European descent. This was also performed by several theater companies throughout the 1930s.
The sad part is that Green Grow the Lilacs has been long forgotten. Also if you google Cherokee Night, the first results you get is the Cherokee Night Jeep. And when I went to the Goodreads page for Lynn Riggs, I saw a comment from a young woman stating how disappointed she was to find out that Lynn Riggs was not a prolific 'woman playwright' from the early part of the 20th century, I replied along the lines of "well no, but he was a prolific early 20th century writer of acknowledged Native American descent who wrote of the lives of Natives during that time, particularly individuals of mixed Native and European descent." And...she still has yet to reply. -_-
But you still can buy Riggs's works and learn more about them, most notably in this compilation, The Cherokee Night and Other Plays:


The Cherokee Night and Other Plays at Amazon

More info on Lynn Riggs and a more recent production of Green Grow the Lilacs




*****



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) are available for the low price of $17.00 at my Official Website

My store and product line, Antiquity & Illusion is now available online at my website's store and at Storevny. If your a first time visitor, enter the coupon code, ANTIQUITY for 15% off of your entire first order. Note that this discount is only available at the website store. I will be setting something up for the Storenvy site very soon. :)

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



Post-Halloween Q&A with Author, Ashley Nestler

Halloween is never quite over (for some of us, at least). Today, I do a little post-Halloween Q&A with author, Ashley Nestler. Be sure to check out her work as well!





TA:  Describe your typical Halloween.

AN: My typical Halloween is binge watching horror movies, handing out candy, and pigging out on candy myself!  I also love going for a nighttime walk.  The wind on Halloween is just the most interesting feeling.



TA: What about Halloween appeals you?

AN: I adore the lore around Halloween (Samhain).  I am Wiccan, so I do believe that souls come to visit us on Halloween.  I also set out food and drink for travelling souls, and I love how that day seems to connect life with death.


TA: Halloween all year round or one day a year?

AN: Halloween year round, absolutely!  I always leave some Halloween decorations up.  I am just a bit obsessed.

Links

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amnestler






*****



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) are available for the low price of $17.00 at my Official Website

My store and product line, Antiquity & Illusion is now available online at my website's store and at Storevny. If your a first time visitor, enter the coupon code, ANTIQUITY for 15% off of your entire first order. Note that this discount is only available at the website store. I will be setting something up for the Storenvy site very soon. :)

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

The Depreciation Lands Museum's Halloween Lantern Tour, 2016...

Happy Halloween! Here is a quick video I took just before the Halloween Lantern Tour at the Depreciation Lands Museum! This year I was a storyteller, telling a ghost tale from days of old...

I also added creepy music for extra atmostphere. :)



Music credit:
Gone Beyond by Kevin MacLeod

http://depreciationlandsmuseum.org

http://tiffanyapan.com


I will also be part of this Halloween Blog Hop with some amazing authors. So stay tuned!







*****


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 store and product line, Antiquity & Illusion is now available online at my website's store and at Storevny. If your a first time visitor, enter the coupon code, ANTIQUITY for 15% off of your entire first order. Note that this discount is only available at the website store. I will be setting something up for the Storenvy site very soon. :)

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


Making an 18th Century Fire Bucket, Part 2

Hello everyone!

Here is the continuation of making my 18th century fire bucket in Glunn Klass. When I left off, I had just pounded the mould into the sewn leather that will be my bucket. And now here are the next steps...






1.) Trim the edges that are around the mould.




2.) Mark where the stitching on the edges will be.



3.) Take your best Thor hammer and pound the hell out of that mould until it's out from the bucket.




4.) Mark and drill the holes around what will be the bottom of the bucket. 



5.) Glue a strip of leather around the interior of the bottom edge.




6.) Once the glue is dry, take a drill and put it through the original holes and into the inner strip.





7.) Using a saddle stitch, stitch in what will be the bottom of the bucket.


8.) Trim off the edges and you are on your way to the next step...which I will show you at another time. :)











*****


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

Making an 18th Century Fire Bucket

Hi everyone!

So on my neverending historical studies, I joined Gunn Klass, a class that is presented by a couple board members at the museum. It focuses on skills like making flint locks, leather sewing, blacksmithing, and more. For the first project of the Fall semester, we are making fire buckets! This has been a fun and challenging project so far and here are the beginnings of it. :)


1.) We started with a slab of leather that is to eventually be the bucket. It is marked on the side where the holes will be punctured.



2.) Next, we punctured the holes so the sides could be stitched using a saddle stitch to make the seam.


3.) Right before the stitching started, Paul (one of the class instructors) predicted that some of us would break the needles while stitching (by pulling too hard with a pair of pliers). And...I ended up breaking a needle right away.


Epic fail...

4.) But I was able to start again with another needle, and this time successfully completed my stitching.




5.) After stitching what would be the side seam, the leather had to soak for a while...




6.) Then it was taken out and put into a mould that would shape it into its bucket shape (I had to hammer in the mould with a heavy "Thor" hammer, which was loads of fun).




That's it for now, folks. I will return with more progress on the bucket and another real blogpost. Also some news...


A hint at one of my newest projects...










*****


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

New Music Video and Halloween Blog!

Hi everyone,

During this very  busy week, I was able to post my newest music video for my song, "A Prayer." The video was directed by my filmmaker friend, Matt Jefferson and also starred Jason English, Jason Fuller, and Eric Prestley. The song is a fan favorite, so enjoy!



And check out a little behind the scenes action from when we were shooting it! :)


And stay tuned for some more footage from shows, including a forthcoming 18th century tavern night performance with the Wayward Companions. I will also be posting photos of an 18th century fire bucket that I'll be making, and of course I will be back to blogging about topics I love.

Stay tuned and have a lovely rest of the week.

PS- Also stay tuned for my 31 Days of Halloween Blog... (I'm experimenting with having this as its own separate blog this year)










*****


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

Why I Am Involved with Living History

A little while back, I wrote a post on this blog explaining a little of why I enjoy studying and talking of history. I will link to that as this current post is a sort of Part 2.

A Passion for the Past or Why I Study History

When I first embarked on the venture of Living History, I looked forward to not only bringing history to life for others, but also getting into some deeper historical research for my own writing. It ended up becoming much more than that.

I've been doing this for probably a little over a year now (close to a year and a half), and in addition to getting an even better grasp on historical events than I had before (which really fuels the history lover in me), more opportunities in music, acting, and writing opened up. I've also gained and even richer insight to my already pretty nuanced takes on history.

One thing I always make a point of doing when studying any era is to try and acquire a complete picture of all that was taking place in a given time, including the statutes of the day, the political climate, what happened previously that might have been the cause of such a political climate, and any other pesky nuances that might contribute to connecting with and trying to understand the past on a deeper level. This, of course, is in opposition to the more basic 'on the surface' view that many seem to have.
In the midst of it all, I found myself wanting to talk of these more nuanced views and therefore try to quell the many preconceived notions that seems to cloud our vision of the distant past. Yes, studying history can be overwhelming and perhaps that is at least part of why many tend to take that basic surface only approach that also feeds many historical myths.

When asked where to start, I usually recommend starting with Mary Miley Theobald's book Death by Petticoat: American History Myths Debunked along with her accompanying website. Of course, I don't necessarily agree with everything she says (you'll have that with anyone, though) but it is a great place to be opened to seeing which historical events might need a little further investigation in order to have a more well-rounded outlook.
As a subscriber to Jas. Townsend's newsletter and YouTube Channel, I find much of his insights to be extremely valuable (Jas. Townsend & Son is a great source, particularly great if you are looking to get into Living History), not only as a reenactor, but also as someone that considers herself a lifelong student of history. There was one issue of his newsletter that especially jumped out at me and if I may, here is a passages from it:


"It also doesn’t matter what your race or ethnicity is [when it comes to being a reenactor]. Eighteenth-century North America was made up of a rich and diverse mix of cultures and ethnicities. Society wasn’t as stereotypical as you think.
A more obvious example may be for Americans of African descent. We’ve had a number of people tell us that they do not want to portray a slave, believing that a slave persona is their only option. But the truth is there were many free blacks in 18th-century North America. There was even a black regiment that fought on the colonial side of the war. There are so many stories that are begging to be told, otherwise they could be lost and forgotten forever.
If you are concerned that reenacting and living history is only for men (admittedly, some groups and time periods of reenactors might have more of a reputation for being only men), the flintlock era is for everyone. The opportunities are amazing. Many of the military units accept women into their ranks. There are so many things women did in the 18th century that were important, and those stories need to be told. Women of this time period were not hidden away."

Now, I highlighted three sentences in bold-faced print for a reason, but the one out of all of them that is - in my opinion - of utmost importance is the statement of the many stories that are begging to be told, lest they be lost and forgotten. It is these stories that can give a person - regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender - pride in who they are and where they come from (and I mean real pride, not the fabricated kind the media sells us as a way of dividing us).
We can learn so much from these stories, both the good and the bad, the right and the wrong, but that can never happen if these stories continue to go ignored. Not to mention that while I'm sure that many who come to historical sites do so with an interest in learning more of the portrayed time period, a good number of these individuals come in with preconceived notions. This is especially so when it comes to the women of the time.
Even just from observing what I see many saying online, it seems to be widely believed that women were "hidden away" and "put in their place", lest they be "burned as a witch for stepping out of line." While having more pronounced gender roles, more defined meanings of "women's work" versus "men's work", and a strong push toward all women marrying when of age back in the day isn't false, many of our predecessors were more worried about surviving than they were concerning themselves with 'John Smith's' wife helping run her husband's business instead of being confined to the hearth "where she belongs". In fact, 'John Smith down the road' having his wife help him run his tavern was not all that unusual, as - for many at that time - the home was the center of the economy, not only for that household, but the entire community. Many businesses were conducted from inside a family's home and often, the entire family contributed in one form or another (children as young as four were considered active members of the family, meaning they also did their share). But many today don't seem to consider that.
Here is an anecdote to hopefully demonstrate my point:
Two weeks ago, I was at the museum working with the blacksmith and of course, we get families that come to visit and explore the museum and the area's covered history. When I mentioned that, yes, there were women taking on the position of blacksmith and other trades back then (meaning the 18th century and Revolutionary War), each and every guest seemed surprised.
I've read of such accounts from other historical sites as well, when the tourist seems to think that women were merely subservient housewives (one reason why - according to Jas. Townsend and other sources - women are also hesitant when exploring the idea of being involved with Living History) and are often shocked when they learn of women working in a place like a printing press or blacksmith shop. Usually the tourist in question assumes that the museum is fulfilling some sort of 'equal opportunity clause' when in reality what they are seeing is historical accuracy. I can't tell you how many times I've heard someone say things along the lines of "wow, that's the opposite of what you normally hear!" While I am always happy to clear those details up for them, it is troubling to see just how skewed a lot of it is.

Colonial Williamsburg's website has some excellent articles on the contributions of women throughout history and how, oftentimes, seeing a woman working at a printing press, owning a tavern, etc, really was not considered all that unusual for many in Colonial society:

Women's Service in the Revolutionary Army

Gentlewomen of the Press

With All the Grace of the Sex (also includes a brief podcast)

According to the article, "Gentlewomen of the Press":

 "Though creative research has produced evidence of women working at male-dominated occupations in the eighteenth century and before, there is undoubtedly more documentation out there, in newspapers, diaries, legal proceedings, and prints. What is more compelling is the lack of documentation that women were not allowed to work. Although religious practices and social norms might have restricted certain activities in some parts of the world, there were no laws prohibiting women from working a trade.
"Yet sometimes scholars and guests have a hard time accepting the notion that women did just that. Schumann says that "the greatest obstacle for the visitor is in accepting [Clementina] Rind as an eighteenth-century woman, and not a 'born-before-her-time' women's libber. She was in debt and had four young children. Fortunately, she was well suited to the task." A modern woman might choose to be a mechanic as an occupation, but an eighteenth-century woman might have had to pick up a hammer or work a press to make ends meet. Perhaps the notion of "choice" is where women's roles have changed in the workforce, but no matter what century it is, women have always done what is necessary to provide for themselves and their families."
It gives me great pleasure to bring the stories of these individuals to life through reenacting and storytelling and few things irritate me more than seeing someone take a rather holier than thou approach to how they view our predecessors. That is why I find it very rewarding to tell someone of Elizabeth Glover, who in 1638 founded the first printing press in America. Or share the amazing story of the partnership between Harriet Tubman and John Brown as they fought to free slaves, which ended in Brown being executed (something that Tubman is said to have agonized over). Or how about Elizabeth Thorn, who ran her family's grave digging business while her husband fought in the Civil War? I find it rewarding to see that person's face shift to an expression of being pleasantly surprised and then want to know more. I am also happy that historical sites like Colonial Williamsburg, that are even more prominent than the one that I do work for, can do the same.
As I always say, I think that there is more in history that can bring us all together than divide us. There were many incidents where women, men, and people of different races and ethnicities came together to fight adversity. There were many that did great things that can and should bring pride to all of us today. There were also terrible things that happened, incidents that we can learn from so not to repeat it. But it was also during those terrible times that people did come together to create a certain unity. And - as it is today - it was the media along with some in power that fought to rip that unity at the seams and put people against each other, which sadly many fell for, though many also did not. By Living History, I hope to tell of these individual's whose stories are on the verge of being lost forever only to be replaced by a simplified, altered version that does nothing but divide, conquer, and shame.

I will close by giving the last words to Jas. Townsend.




'Til next time.

*****


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

Featured Post

A Monsoon Concert...Thunder, Lightening, and Music, OH MY! And some Pyrates too!

    Well hey there! I'm back after a long hiatus from posting here! It's been an eventful year as I'm prepping for some cool thi...