Some of my favorite scenes in HBO’s The Gilded Age involve the preparation and display of sumptuous food. Nothing says dripping in money like...
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Blog Posts by Kathryn Pritchett
The Origin Story of Cezanne’s Basket of Apples
As storytellers steeped in history, the Paper Lantern Writers know that even the smallest of things—a glance, a word, a touch—can echo through time...
What I’m Reading During My Third Bout With COVID
I once lived in a house with many linear feet of built-in bookshelves. This is not that house. When we downsized a decade ago, I focused on the...
REPOST: How One Writer’s Words Inspired Another to Write
Note: The Lanterns are currently swinging in hammocks with their favorite summer reads. So for August we're stepping away from our computers and...
Trojan Women Set Sail in a Compelling Beach Read
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...
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...
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