Though I spend a lot of my research and writing time in the corseted confines of the Gilded Age, come summer I’m ready to let down my hair and catch...
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Q&A : Novels that Illuminate Women of the Past
Originally published in 2022, PLW is pleased to share this Encore Women's History Month Q&A. *** Since so many women have been left out of the...
Big Love Rooted in 19th Century Polygamy
When asked to write on the theme of “Big Love” for February, I couldn’t help but think about the television series Big Love - a modern take on the...
Gilded Holiday Recipes Found in Historical Fiction
I know several non-cooks who boast an extensive cookbook collection. These literary epicureans enjoy reading about the creative process of making...
Favorite Historical Fiction Blog Post From the Past Five Years
Over the past five years as we’ve found our blogging voices, it’s been fun to see distinctive patterns emerge. Ana Brazil is a trained historian,...
Time Traveler Explores Cultural Differences in The Ministry of Time
One of the best reasons to read any book is to learn about another world. If that book is also set in the past you can do so without ever leaving...
Historical Mystery Writer Ana Brazil
As the days build to the summer solstice, make the most of those extra hours of daylight to read about our Lantern of the Month, Ana Brazil. Ana...
First Encounter Between Sister Wives
The Casket Maker's Other Wife--my first novel and ongoing WIP--was inspired by my great-great-grandparents’ polygamous marriage. I descend from the...
A History of Women’s Needlework – From the Stone Age to My Age
There’s a family story about my great-grandmother sending her husband to town over and over to get the right color of thread for her sewing...
REPOST: Schmutzli – Sinister Sidekick to St. Nicholas
One of the most popular blog posts we've ever had on the Paper Lantern Writers website is a history of the Swiss holiday figure, Schmutzli. Since...
What Makes a Good Ghost Story?
Encore Q & A - This was such a fun post from October, 2020, we just had to share it again! To wrap up our month of “Things That Go Bump in the...
Samichlaus and Schmutzli: Swiss Duo Determines if You’ve Been Naughty or Nice
In Switzerland, Christmas festivities begin on December 6, St. Nicholas Day. Men parade through the street cracking whips, blowing horns, clanging...
5 Books about Gay Life in the Gilded Age
A successful story idea often originates by way of a detour. For example, while doing research for my first novel about homesteading polygamists in...
5 Quotes that Add Up to Writing Success
While waiting to board a recent flight to LA, I heard a man tell his companion that “ninety-eight percent of success is just showing up.” Eighty...
The Written Word – Victorian Women’s Periodicals
March is Women’s History Month, which is pretty much EVERY month for us Paper Lantern Writers. But this March we’re focusing on the Written Word and...
New Member Spotlight: Pam Nowak
Pam Nowak - welcome to Paper Lantern Writers! What would you like readers to know about you? My historical women’s fiction novels focus on real...
Dear Author… Thank You!
Writers become writers because they were first readers. Readers who got lost in someone else’s story and subsequently found their vocation. Today, a...
UNLOCKED Anthology Launches Today!
Today is a big day for the Paper Lantern Writers. It’s the launch date of our first short story anthology, Unlocked. The anthology is comprised of...
Q & A – Books to Make A Bad Commute Better
Rumor has it we’ve headed back to school and back to work. Even if you’re barely easing back into the outer world, the Paper Lantern Writers have...
Gilded Age Actress Maude Adams on Dressing the Part
Maude Adams as Peter Pan Maude Adams was the preeminent American stage actress of the Gilded Age and Broadway’s original Peter Pan. She owned...
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