I’ve
always loved fall, with its crisp, clean smells, cooler weather, and leaves
turning a myriad of colors. More importantly, I have a special fondness for
Halloween since it’s my birthday. As a young girl, I loved dressing up as
everything from a princess to a vampire and trick-or-treating with my friends
in our neighborhood. As I got older, I participated in scavenger hunts and had
sleepovers with all kinds of games, scary movies, and lots of cake.
For
my latest medieval historical romance, I decided to include a little about All
Hallow’s Eve, which meant researching customs in England during the 14th
century.
My
heroine Kallen has been raised in an isolated convent, where the good nuns only
acknowledged a handful of special holy days. As her traveling party stops at a
castle, she is exposed to the quaint customs of All Hallow’s Eve.
At
the feast, my hero Griffith introduces her to solteties, which were special sweets created for feasts and made of
a sugar paste in the shape of flowers, hearts, or cherubs. Kallen has never
eaten a sweet before, and she instantly decides this is her new favorite food.
All
Hallow’s Eve was used as an excuse for those of the opposite sex to pair up.
Their hostess, Lady Katharine, gives all the single females (including Kallen)
an apple to peel in a single, long strand. As Kallen peels, she repeats after
Lady Katharine these words:
I
pare this apple round and round again,
My sweetheart’s name to flourish on
the plain.
I fling the unbroken paring o’er my
head
My sweetheart’s letter on the ground
to read.
Though
Kallen does as requested and tosses the peel over her shoulder, it lands on the
hero’s boot. Lady Katharine deems the peel unreadable (it’s supposed to form a
letter), so she next escorts Kallen to the fire. She spies several women her
age counting out hazelnuts and placing them in front of the fire’s grate. They
solemnly chant:
If you love me, pop and fly;
If you hate me, burn and die.
Lady
Katharine tells her that each nut is named. When one jumps from its place, the
named nut signals the man who will be the girl’s future husband.
But
their hostess has a new test to find Kallen’s true love. A snail is brought
forth and set at the edge of the fire’s ashes. Lady Katharine deems that the
snail squiggles an S. The only man
Kallen has known is the priest who came to the convent and now a few men who
are escorting her to her new home—none of whom has a name beginning with S.
Or do they?
I
enjoyed researching these quaint customs and letting my readers discover these
historical tidbits through Kallen’s eyes.
Blurb:
Kallen
de Mangeron grew up in a convent, her noble family never knowing of her birth.
When a new Mother Superior informs them of her existence, they send trusted
knight Griffith Sommersby to escort her home.
Griffith’s
heart broke when he lost his wife and infant son during childbirth, and he’s
kept his feelings locked away from the world—until he meets Kallen. He soon
learns her dark secret—that she sees auras around people—which allows her
insight into their actions and personalities.
Now
Quentin, bastard brother to the king, decides to harness Kallen’s gift in a
plot to win the throne. Will Quentin successfully use a kidnapped Kallen as his
political pawn, or will Griffith be able to stop him before Kallen changes the
course of England’s history?
Author Bio:
Lauren Linwood’s historical romances use history as a backdrop
to place her characters in extraordinary circumstances, where their intense
desire for one another grows into the treasured gift of love. Her romantic
suspense novels feature strong heroes and heroines who unite to defeat a clever
antagonist and discover a deep, abiding love during their journey.
A native Texan, Lauren
is an avid reader, moviegoer, and sports fan who manages stress by alternating
yoga with long walks. She plans to start a support group for House Hunters
addicts—as soon as she finishes her next piece of dark chocolate.
Thanks for hosting me today, Layne! I enjoyed stopping by to share a little about my writing with your readers.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post Lauren!
ReplyDelete