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Sexuality And Its Impact On History (The British Stripped Bare)
Available for pre-order on Amazon UK and Amazon US
Previously published at LA.P. it Marketing
Learn of the scandals and romance that shaped Great Britain. This provocative collection of essays depicts the cultural and societal kinks of the British, from the Anglo-Saxons, Medieval, Tudor, Regency, and Victorian eras. Discover the ménage that changed the course of the Anglo-Saxon throne, go undercover to explore Courtly Love, learn about the business of Tudor and Regency marriages.
Read of a possible dalliance involving Queen Anne Boleyn, and the controversial marriages of Mary, Queen of Scots. Peek into the bedrooms of Victorian prostitutes. Each story provides shocking detail about what was at the heart of romance throughout British history. Would you swig a magic potion or plot to kill your husband in order to marry your lover?
These are just two of the many romantic and sexual customs from British history that you will explore when seven authors take us through the centuries, revealing that truth is stranger than fiction when it comes to love. From bizarre trivia about courtly love, to techniques and prostitution, you’ll encounter memorable nuggets of provocative info that you’ll want to share with friends and co-workers.
It’s all here: Lady Godiva and Peeping Tom, ménage a trois, chastity belts, Tudor fallacies, royal love and infidelity, marriage contracts (which were more like business arrangements), and brothels, kept women, and whorehouses. Take a peek at what really happened between the sheets. Each story provides you with shocking detail about what was at the heart of romance throughout British history.
The Impact of Sexuality in History: The British Stripped Bare chronicles the pleasures and perils of the flesh, sharing secrets from the days of the Anglo-Saxons, medieval courtly love traditions, diabolical Tudor escapades—including those of Anne Boleyn and Mary Queen of Scots—the Regency, and down to the ‘prudish’ Victorian Era. This scholarly yet accessible study brings to light the myriad varieties of British sexual mores.
About the Authors
Emma Haddon-Wright is from Plymouth UK and a lover of all things macabre & mysterious. She has a BA (Hons) Medieval to Modern European History. She is devoted to her family, history and is thrilled to be included in Sexuality & Its Impact on History: The British Stripped Bare! You can find her on Twitter @RedLunaPixie
Annie Whitehead spends her life researching and writing about Anglo-Saxon history; the kingdom of Mercia in particular. She is an editor for English Historical Fiction Authors, the winner of the Historical Writers’ Association/Dorothy Dunnett Award, and is a member of the Royal Historical Society. She’s written three novels set in Mercia, blogs at Casts Light upon the Shadow, and was a previous Independent Author Network Book of the Year Finalist. She is currently writing a history of Mercia to be published in the autumn of 2018. Find Annie online at her website on Facebook and Twitter @ALWhitehead63
Jessica Cale is a romance author, editor, and historian based in North Carolina. Originally from Minnesota, she lived in Wales for several years where she earned a B.A. in History and an MFA in Creative Writing while climbing castles and photographing mines for history magazines. She kidnapped (“married”) her very own British prince (close enough) and is enjoying her happily ever after with him in a place where no one understands his accent. She is the editor of Dirty, Sexy History and can be found on Facebook and Twitter @JessicaCale
Maryanne Coleman lives in the English countryside and can be found mainly digging in archives, or her garden. Her passions are King Arthur, Shakespeare and Kit Marlowe. She has many degrees, mainly in English Literature, Tudor History, and Elizabethan Theatre. She isn’t online, so no need to look for her. Although she may often be found at Heathrow Airport waiting on a flight to the French Riviera.
Judith Arnopp’s life-long passion for history eventually led her to the University of Wales How I Review Books..
where she gained a B.A. in English and Creative Writing, and a Masters in Medieval History. Her first novel, Peaceweaver was published in 2009, quickly followed by two others. Her best-selling Tudor novel, The Winchester Goose lead her to create five more novels covering the lives of Anne Boleyn, Katheryn Parr and Elizabeth of York. The King’s Mother is the third book in The Beaufort Chronicles a trilogy following the fascinating life of Margaret Beaufort. She is researching her eleventh novel. Judith’s non-fiction work has been published in various historical anthologies and she is active online at her website and at Facebook and Twitter @juditharnopp
Gayle Hulme was born and brought up in Glasgow, Scotland and after many years of soaking up island life in Jersey, Channel Islands she returned to Scotland via historic Warwickshire, England. Back in bonnie Scotland she now enjoys hanging out with husband Paul, son Jamie and two silly, but adorable dogs, Millie and Spot. Weekdays are spent motivating women as a group fitness instructor. She spends weekends travelling the UK investigating dusty corners of historical castles, palaces and museums. Her passions and fascinations are hugely diverse. In the morning she could be reading about her favourite royal heroine Queen Anne Boleyn and by the afternoon she might be at Ibrox Stadium cheering on the Glasgow Rangers FC. By evening she could be away with the fairies or learning about ancient Hawaiian wisdom. Find her HERE
Dr. Beth Lynne is a freelance editor and author. She has a Bachelors in English (SUNY Albany), Masters in Elementary Education, Special Education (LIU/CUNY Queens), Education Administration, and a doctorate in Education Leadership (Rowan University). Originally from New York, Beth worked as a teacher in the New York City Public Schools before moving to New Jersey, where she worked teaching social studies, science, math, and English to a variety of grade levels. She decided to pursue her passion and self-published four books on Amazon. During this time, she discovered her forte was editing. Thus, BZ Hercules, named after her pets at the time, was born! Beth devoted herself to the art of examining the work of others, creating e-books and print books. This venture has been so successful it enabled her to retire from teaching in 2017. Beth currently lives in sunny Florida with her husband, daughter, and several pets. Contact Beth at her website on Facebook and Twitter @bzhercules1
Hunter S, Jones is passionate about the history of romance, science and music, a.k.a. sex, drugs and rock & roll. She has a popular history blog, and is a historian for Past Preservers Casting. When she isn’t writing, talking or tweeting about kings, queens and rock stars, she’s living the dream in Atlanta, Georgia with her Scottish born husband. Find out more at her website and follow her on Facebook and Twitter @HunterS_Jones
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Discovering John Law’s Homestead by Alfred Woollacott
Alfred Woollacott has written a story about his ancestor John Law in The Immigrant and I am across a blog post on his website about Alfred’s drive down Lawsbrook Rd and thought how extraordinary it would be to travel down the same road your ancestors lived. Can you image all the feelings building inside you and the anticipation of what you might discover further? Below is the first paragraph in Alfred’s post and I want to encourage you to follow the link I provide to read the rest of his fascinating post. -Stephanie M. Hopkins
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A Jaguar sedan sped along Route 2 with a map of old Acton laying on the passenger seat for reference. The driver was researching the past of John Law, his distant ancestor, trying to pinpoint where he settled some 350 years earlier. This direct descendant had spent his youth twenty miles west of Acton and frequently traveled Route 2 into Boston. The Concord rotary was an approximate midpoint between Boston and his home. The road used to change noticeably at the rotary. To the west, there were rural towns and a divided highway, and to the east, suburbs and an undivided highway, littered with stoplights and congestion. The farmland just west of the rotary had changed little since he first saw it in his youth. No matter how often he passed by the farmland, he always had peculiar sensations. Often those sensations reminded him to adjust his speed. If he travelling east, slow down and endure the congestion, and if travelling west, open it up and look out for cops…Read more HERE
About The Immigrant:
A historical saga that covers a winter of 1650/1651 journey of John Law, a young Scotsman captured by the English Lord Cromwell’s forces in seventeenth century Scotland during “The Battle of Dunbar”. He survives a death march to Durham, England and is eventually sent to Massachusetts Bay Colony as an indentured servant, arriving aboard the ship “Unity” that was carrying around 150 prisoners of war from different Scottish clans. Now an outcast, and in the sanctuary of the new colony, John starts over as an immigrant in a Puritan theocracy. He is first indentured to the Saugus Iron Works and then to Concord as a public shepherd in West Concord (now Acton). The young man faces obstacles often beyond his control, and his only ally is his faith. After his indenture is served he struggles a near lifetime to obtain title to his promised land. From start to finish “The Immigrant” is an intoxicating journey that follows the travails of John, his faith in God, his good wife and growing family.
Available on Amazon
A Short Story Challenge!
I’ve been challenging authors to think outside the box when it comes to branding and promoting. Sideline writing & blog projects are part of the challenge. I’ve challenged Author Stuart S. Laing to write a story inspired by a photo he shared on Facebook a few weeks ago and he accepted my challenge and wrote a short story called The Day of Storms that takes place in The Kingdom of Fife, Scotland, February 5th 1794. In this story, you will meet Sarah, Rebecca Hopkins and a band of ruthless smugglers this Friday here at Layered Pages! This story will be posted in four different blog posts on Fridays. Stay tuned and help spread the word!- Stephanie
About the Author:
Born and raised on the east coast of Scotland in the ancient Pictish Kingdom of Fife Stuart grew up looking across the Firth of Forth towards the spires and turrets of the city of Edinburgh and its castle atop its volcanic eyrie.
He has always been fascinated by the history of Auld Reekie and has spend most of his life studying Scottish history in all its aspects whenever he finds the time between family, work and the thousand and one other things that seek to distract him.
Despite the vast panorama of Scotland’s history he always find himself being drawn back to the cobbled streets of the Old Town. Those streets have provided the inspiration for his stories and characters.
He would urge all visitors to Scotland’s ancient capital to (briefly) venture into one of the narrow closes running down from the Royal Mile to get a flavour of how alive with mischief, mayhem, love and laughter these streets once were
Four-Legged Stool
Alfred began dabbling into in family history and dabbling grew into an obsession, and he published several genealogical summaries of his ancestors. Find out more about Alfred’s work at the Four-Legged Stool website.
About Alfred Woollacott III:
Alfred Woollacott, III retired from KPMG after a career spanning 34 years, choosing to reside full time at his summer residence on Martha’s Vineyard. Being “45 minutes from America” and with a 50 – 60 hour per week void to fill, he began dabbling into his family history. His dabbling grew into an obsession, and he published several genealogical summaries of his ancestors. But certain ones absorbed him such that he could not leave them. So he researched their lives and times further while evolving his writing skills from “just the facts ma’am” to a fascinating narrative style. Thus with imagination, anchored in fact and tempered with plausibility, a remote ancestor can achieve a robust life as envisioned by a writer with a few drops of his ancestor’s blood in his veins.
When not writing, Al serves on several Boards, and keeps physically active with golf, tennis, and hockey. He and his wife of 44 years, Jill, have four children and ten grandchildren.
Battle of Gettysburg and Family Heritage
Camp Letterman tents 1863
On February 19th here at Layered Pages, I posted a blog post from Janet Stafford about her blog post on Gettysburg, and the in the blog Janet talks about the field hospital for the wounded and talks about the- “profound imprint on the town in the days, months, and years after hostilities.” Her post had me thinking about my great, great, great Grandfather James Marshall Sharp on my mother’s mother side, who was enlisted in Company F of the 45th North Carolina Infantry during the American Civil War. He was injured in two different battles. One at Gettysburg… He was actually there, and I wish I could find out more about his experience, and what he saw-which we have a pretty good idea-but…I want more information. He recovered from that battle and was wounded again and captured at Spotsylvania Courthouse May 1864 and lived to tell about it. I believe he had to sign a paper pledging loyalty to the Union to be released like so many other soldiers did.
James was a tobacco farmer in Rockingham County and had several children and no doubt they helped on the farm. One of his descendants my third cousin remove, Susie Sharp was the first female supreme court justice of North Carolina. My mother met her when she was a young girl and tells me she was an extraordinary woman. She was quite impressed with her as I can tell by just listening to her speak of her.
Anyhow, the civil war divided this country in such a way at times I feel hearts are still hardened by it but not in all ways that people think. History has a way of staying with us, you know? Not just in the south but in the north as well. I have a lot on my mind about this and I wish I had more information about James Marshall Sharp and his insight of the battle of Gettysburg. I aim to see what I can come up through research and to hopefully be able to find Sharp’s in North Carolina who can help me. Also, I am finding conflicting information about his actual birth date which is leaving me perplexed. I want to know the extract age he was when he enlisted to fight in the war. I was told he owned slaves but if he was very young at the time-if there were slaves-then they would have been his Father’s I’m guessing? I plan to get to the bottom of this!
Isn’t amazing how when you read a post on history how it can hit close to home and your own family history? This is one of the many reasons why it’s so important for us to keep learning about the past so we don’t lose what shapes the present and future.
Be sure to follow Janet’s website and read her wonderful blog posts. You will learn a lot and be inspired about your own family’s past.
Stephanie M. Hopkins
Interview with Author Norton Upson
I’d like to welcome Norton Upson to Layered Pages to talk with me about his book. Norton, tell me about your book, The Case of the Boarding House Murder.
The easiest way to talk about the book is for you to read at the back-cover blurb-
Proving someone innocent of killing a boarding house tenant was easy. Case solved. Time to move onto the next one. Or so we thought.
What Maggie and I didn’t count on, digging into a four-year-old federal trial. What made this one so interesting, for me at least, my father had been the lead prosecutor. When all his personal papers disappeared, we had to rely on the trial transcript. Except, we aren’t the only ones who wanted the testimony.
During the course of our investigation, Maggie and I discover the witnesses had been murdered even though the police reports had said otherwise. But, that’s not the worst. The body count will continue to rise if certain individuals aren’t stopped. But how? That we didn’t know.
Then, we uncover the secret these people are keeping. If they succeed their plan will have worldwide implications. Finally, the break we’d been looking for.
Where the money is coming from?
Can Maggie and I stop this global disaster from happening before we are murdered?
What was the inspiration behind writing this story?
One of of my all-time favorite movies is Casablanca. I watch it every chance I get. Another is Public Enemy. Then of course The Maltese Falcon and the book of the same name.
When I first came up with the idea for The Case of the Boarding House Murder I had originally planned to set the story in contemporary Los Angeles, CA. The more I talked and thought about this I came to realize that wouldn’t work. Look at all the technology there is out there for even a private investigator to use or have access to. That would take all the fun out of story.
So, I decided to go back in time. This book, therefore the series, starts in 1940. And talk about going down the research rabbit hole. The clothes worn in that period. Jewelry. Music. Cars. Even how coffee was made. (In a real percolator on a stove.) Sports teams. Between 1940 and now team name has changed. Then we have, what’s going on in the world. Radio shows. Don’t forget TV didn’t come along until much later. What restaurants were popular in LA. Hotels. Even food. The political climate.
One concession I did make, I wasn’t going to use the vernacular of the period but keep narrative and dialogue current.
Tell me about Maggie.
What’s there to say about her. She’s beautiful and very intelligent. Some, not all, of her I patterned after my mother. Sorry but to learn more about Maggie you’ll have to get the book.
Why did you choose to write this story?
Now I had the year I wanted the series to start along with my two main characters, Maggie and me, Norton Upson. (Yes, you read that correctly. The entire series is being written in the first person. You, the reader will see everything through my eyes. I felt the series called for this point of view.) Now I needed a
story. Here’s where my, as I call it, “What if…” came into play. A client, at this point potential, walked into the Upson Detective Agency claiming an employee of his was being framed for a murder. He even brought proof with him that the police rejected outright. I took him on as a client only to find out that even from the very beginning nothing was as it seemed.
If anything can be learned from your story, what would it be?
If the events I wrote about were real, and not fiction, and they had come true the world we know would be a totally different place than it is now.
What I do like about writing historical fiction is that I can and will on occasion bring in real historical event.
Where in your home do you like to write and what is your process?
I work in my bedroom, dining room, living room, TV room. In short, I live in a boarding house.
As a general rule I don’t start writing until sometime between 1:30 and 2pm. By then I’ve returned home from town with my requisite Starbucks ® coffee and had lunch. That doesn’t mean I’m not figuring out what scene(s) I’ll be writing that day. That way when I do sit down, for the most part, the writing flows smoothly. I’ll take an hour dinner break then finish the chapter. If I get that done early enough I might even start on the next one. I repeat this cycle seven days a week.
The only actual down time I have is when I’m sleeping.
What are you working on next?
Book 2 in the series is The Case of the Missing Jewelry. I’m planning to release it in the early fall. This book will have even more twists, turns, and false leads than The Case of the Boarding House Murder.
Where can readers buy your book?
All of the books will be in eBook format and in the future print. They are only available at Amazon.
US: Amazon
UK: Amazon
CA: Amazon
AU: Amazon
About Author:
Life’s full of hiccups on the road of life and I had my fair share.
Growing up I also knew what I wanted to be. A Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. To start accomplishing my goal, while at UCLA besides my regular classes and ROTC I took several prelaw classes. My plan had been to do my military service then go to law school.
Then, the first hiccup came along. I was assigned to an Army intelligence group. From the very beginning I became hooked on the detailed work involved. Guess I must have gotten that from my dad who had been a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles. Anyways, instead of serving four years then go into the reserves I decided to stay in the Army.
Then, my second hiccup. July 7, 1937. I had been assigned to the embassy in China. When I was walking near the Marco Polo Bridge fighting broke out between Chinese and Japanese soldiers. I was shot in the leg and ended up getting discharged. With my injury becoming an FBI agent was out so I took what I learned in the Army and opened Upson Detective Agency.
Finally, a great hiccup. I was walking down Rodeo Drive when I saw a familiar face. Maggie Neilson, my girlfriend from high school, walked back into my life.
To find out more about Maggie and myself you’ll have to read the Upson PI Mystery books as we solve some of the most baffling cases ever to cross a private detective’s blotter.
In conclusion, everything I’ve written about me is fiction. Or is it? You decide.
Every Single Secrets by Emily Carpenter
I’m a little over half way through reading this book for review and I want reality to go away so I can spend my whole attention to the story! Have you ever felt kinship with a story? I’m half way through this one and its making a profound impact on me and the fact in takes place in the state I live in helps to. Hehe…
There are so many secrets in this book and the suspense is killing me! I want to know now!! Emily Carpenter is an amazing southern suspense writer. I want her to crank these stories out faster! Haha…
Last time I say her at a book event I told her I envisioned her writing a story set in Hilton Head that takes place in the early 1900’s. I wonder if she will…? She has such a grasp for atmospheric and character driven stories.
Stephanie M. Hopkins
About the book:
Expected publication: May 1st 2018 by Lake Union Publishing
In this harrowing psychological thriller, a young couple must save their relationship by doing the unthinkable: sharing their darkest secrets…
Emotionally guarded Daphne Amos always believed she’d found a kindred spirit in her fiancé, Heath. Both very private people, they’ve kept their pasts hidden from the world, and each other, until Heath’s escalating nightmares begin to put an undeniable strain on their relationship. Determined to give their impending marriage the best chance of succeeding, Heath insists that Daphne join him on a seven-day retreat with Dr. Matthew Cerny, a psychologist celebrated for getting to the root of repressed memories. Daphne reluctantly agrees—even though the past is the last place she wants to go.
The retreat’s isolated and forbidding location increases her unease, as do the doctor’s rules: they must relinquish their keys and phones, they’ll be monitored at all hours by hidden cameras, and they’re never to socialize with the other guests.
One sleepless night, Daphne decides to leave her room…and only then does she realize that the institute is not at all what it seems—and that whatever’s crying out from Heath’s past isn’t meant to be heard. It’s meant to be silenced.
Cover Reveal: The Wight Thing by Award Winning Author Elisabeth Marrion
About the book:
Eight friends meet up after the untimely death of Isabelle’s husband. Having never lost sight of each other since their university days and now retired, they seize the moment and formulate a plan to search for a place where they could all live together. As they embark on this new journey, secrets begin to emerge.
Christine harbours a longing which she has never acted upon; while Steve dreads his next doctor’s appointment. Isabelle is hiding the biggest truth of all, which, if it comes to life, could have devastating consequences.
Is friendship enough to keep them together?
‘A wonderfully warm, powerfully written, story populated with memorable characters.’ The Wishing Shelf
About the Author:
ELISABETH MARRION was born August 1948, in Hildesheim Germany. Her father was a Corporal in the Royal Air Force and stationed after the War in the British occupied zone in Germany, where he met her mother Hilde, a war widow.
As a child Elisabeth enjoyed reading novels and plays by Oscar Wilde, Thornton Wilder and never lost her love of reading novels by Ernest Hemingway, or short stories by Guy de Maupassant.
In 1969 she moved to England, where she met her late husband David. Together they established a clothing importing company. Their business gave them the opportunity to travel and work in the Sub Continent and the Far East. A large part of their working life was spent in Bangladesh, where they helped to establish a school in the rural part of the country, training young people in trades such as sign writing, electrical work and repair of computers and televisions.
For inspiration she put on her running shoes for a long coastal run near the New Forest, where she now lives.
Elisabeth Marrion’s book The Wight Thing is expected to be released sometime in March and Layered Pages has an interview with Elisabeth on March 9th! Don’t miss it!
Literature/Art/Photography
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