Author Archives: Alicia Dean

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Diana Rubino, with a fascinating post, some fun facts and awesome photos. Oh, yes, and her book, which sounds like a well-researched, fabulous read.

NATHANIEL AND SOPHIA HAWTHORNE: OUR DESTINED BOND

Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne called themselves Adam and Eve as he suffered the shame of his family’s connection to the Salem Witch Trials.

Meet Diana

My passion for history and travel has taken me to every locale of my books and short stories, set in Medieval and Renaissance England, Paris, Egypt, the Mediterranean, colonial Virginia, New England, Washington D.C. and New York. My urban fantasy romance, FAKIN’ IT, won a Top Pick award from Romantic Times. I’m a member of the Richard III Society and the Aaron Burr Association. My husband Chris and I own CostPro, an engineering firm based in Boston. In my spare time, I bicycle, golf, play my piano, devour books of any genre, and spend as much time as possible living the dream on my beloved Cape Cod.

About NATHANIEL AND SOPHIA HAWTHORNE

Salem, Massachusetts witnessed horrific and shameful events in 1692 that haunted the town for three centuries. Accused as witches, nineteen innocent people were hanged and one was pressed to death. Judge John Hathorne and Reverend Nicholas Noyes handed down the sentences. One victim, Sarah Good, cursed Noyes from the hanging tree: “If you take away my life, God will give you blood to drink!” She then set her eyes on Judge Hathorne. “I curse you and your acknowledged heirs for all time on this wicked earth!” Hathorne was not only Sarah Good’s merciless judge; he also fathered her son Peter and refused to acknowledge him.

In 1717, Nicholas Noyes choked on his own blood and died. Every generation after the judge continued to lose Hathorne land and money, prompting the rumor of a family curse. By the time his great great grandson Nathaniel was born, they faced poverty.

Ashamed of his ancestor, Nathaniel added the ‘w’ to his last name. His novels and stories explore his beliefs and fears of sin and evil, and he based many of his characters on overbearing Puritan rulers such as Judge Hathorne.

When Nathaniel first met Sophia Peabody, they experienced instantaneous mutual attraction. Sparks flew. He rose upon my eyes and soul a king among men by divine right, she wrote in her journal.

But to Sophia’s frustration, Nathaniel insisted they keep their romance secret for three years. He had his reasons, none of which made sense to Sophia. But knowing that he believed Sarah Good’s curse inflicted so much tragedy on his family over the centuries, she made it her mission to save him. Sarah was an ancestor of Sophia’s, making her and Nathaniel distant cousins—but she kept that to herself for the time being.

Sophia Peabody’s home next to Charter Street Burying Ground, resting place of Judge Hathorne, Salem, MA

Sophia suffered severe headaches as a result of childhood mercury treatments. She underwent routine mesmerizing sessions, a popular cure for many ailments. Spirits sometimes came to her when mesmerized, and as a spiritualist and medium, she was able to contact and communicate with spirits. She knew if she could reach Sarah and persuade her to forgive Judge Hathorne, Nathaniel would be free of his lifelong burden.

Sarah Good’s son Peter had kept a journal the family passed down to the Peabodys. Sophia sensed his presence every time she turned the brittle pages and read his words. John Hathorne’s legitimate son John also kept a journal, now in the Hawthorne family’s possession. Living on opposite sides of Salem in 1692, Peter and John wrote in vivid detail about how the Salem trials tormented them throughout their lives.

Nathaniel finally agreed to announce their engagement, and married Sophia on July 9, 1842. They moved into their first home, The Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts. “Wanting nothing else but to spend the summer enjoying each other, we became Adam and Eve, alone in our Garden of Eden,” Sophia wrote in her journal.

The Old Manse, the Hawthornes’ first home as newlyweds

As success eluded Nathaniel, they lived on the verge of poverty. After being dismissed from his day job at the Salem Custom House, he wrote The Scarlet Letter, which finally gained him the recognition he deserved. But the curse he believed Sarah cast on his family still haunted him. In the book he asks for the curse to be lifted.

The House of the Seven Gables, Salem, MA, built in 1668

Sophia urged Nathaniel to write a novel about the house, knowing it would be cathartic for him. While they lived in Lenox, Nathaniel finished writing The House of the Seven Gables. The Gothic novel explored all his fears and trepidations about the curse. He told Sophia, “Writing it, and especially reading it aloud to you lifted a tremendous burden off my shoulders. I felt it physically leave me. I carried this inside me since my youth and couldn’t bring it out to face it. And I have you, and only you, to thank.”

But he did not believe the curse could be lifted.

Sophia invited renowned spiritualist John Spear to The Gables. She explained that she needed to complete one final step to convince Nathaniel the curse was lifted.

Read More About John Spear

http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2014/06/the-bizarre-mechanical-messiah-of-john-murray-spear/John Spear

John Spear urged Nathaniel to forgive Judge Hathorne. “You don’t have to say it out loud,” John said. “Just forgive him in your heart.”

Nathaniel whispered his forgiveness.

John, Nathaniel and Sophia went to Judge Hathorne’s gravesite to give the journals proper burial.

Grave of Judge Hathorne, Charter Street Burial Ground, Salem, MA

Why I wrote FOR THE LOVE OF HAWTHORNE

I live near Salem and have been to all the Hawthorne landmarks there, and in Concord. The House of the Seven Gables has been my favorite house in the world since I’m a kid. I’ve always felt a strong spiritual connection to Salem, and always wanted to write one of my books set there, including the witch trials.

I read several of his books and stories, to get a better background on him. Nathaniel wrote from the heart, about his true beliefs, and his loathing of how the witch victims were treated. He did consider it disgraceful, and it certainly was. He added the ‘w’ to his last name to distance himself from the judge. That tormented him and his family all his life. It must have been cathartic to him to have his writing as his outlet.

Visit Salem

www.salem.org

I was fortunate to get a private tour of the House of the Seven Gables when I was writing the book; two of the guides, Ryan Conary and David Moffat, showed me around, and it was fabulous.

Click here to see their book about the house.

The Wayside, the only home the Hawthornes ever owned, in Concord, MA

Nathaniel added that room at the top for his writing studio

An excerpt from NATHANIEL AND SOPHIA HAWTHORNE (their visit to his cousin Susan Ingersoll at The House of the Seven Gables):

I went over to a curio cabinet and swept my eyes over the items on the shelves—a china doll wearing a calico dress, a stack of gold cups and saucers, a red and blue glass checkerboard propped up to display its surface…and a wooden hammer on the top shelf. Upon closer inspection, I saw it was a gavel that judges use in trials. Out of curiosity I picked it up and a shock ran through me as if electrified. Dear God, was it that gavel?

I dropped it to the rug. It landed with a thump. I bent to retrieve it. Somehow I knew it wouldn’t shock me this time—that was only an initial warning. “Something about it made me want to touch it, to pick it up and hold it.”

Nathaniel approached me. He stared at the gavel in my hand, horror darkening his eyes. His lips parted but no words emerged. I knew what he was thinking—the curse. He turned to his cousin, pointing at the gavel, his arm trembling.

Susan hurried over to us, took it from me and placed it back on the shelf. “Yes, it’s Judge Hathorne’s. What happened, Sophie? Are you all right?”

I looked down at my open hands, palms up. They burned as if I’d touched a hot poker. “That gavel—it carries something evil. Has anything happened to you with this, Susie?”

Nathaniel backed away and before Susan could answer me, he grasped her arm. “I begged you to get rid of that accursed thing! You know it shouldn’t be here!”

She looked from him to me, heaving a deep sigh. “I’m not inclined to dispose of it, Natty. It’s a family heirloom, notwithstanding its past.”

He gripped the chair, his face drained of color. “It’s downright evil. You know what he used that thing for.”

She held her hands up in surrender. “Very well, I’ll conceal it.” She took it off the shelf and slid it behind the checkerboard.

“That should not be in this house!” He stood his ground, his eyes fixed on the checkerboard as if it would melt in such close proximity to that horrid object.

“It’s fine there, Natty. It’s concealed from sight now.” She looked at me and gestured for me to sit again. I sat and gulped my sherry.

“Nathaniel’s always overcome with distress at the witch trials.” Susan explained what I already knew.

“And so should you be,” he cut in.

“If I must speak for Judge Hathorne, I heard stories of him from my grandfather.” Susan looked from Nathaniel to me. “The whole hysteria that caught up the judge was started by unscrupulous men to further their own riches. But spectral evidence was still admissible. No sane person could believe that blithery.”

Purchase NATHANIEL AND SOPHIA HAWTHORNE

Universal Book Link: https://books2read.com/u/bWJeaM

Connect with Diana

My Website

www.dianarubino.com

My Blog

http://www.dianarubinoauthor.blogspot.com

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/DianaRubinoAuthor/?ref=hl

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www.x.com/dianalrubino

Please help me welcome today’s guest, L.B. Griffin…

“Creativity has woven itself through every stage of my life, colour, words, and human connections, good and bad, have shaped the person I have become. I’m still learning and still growing, but I realise why I chose creativity. They are the quiet companions that ask for nothing but time, imagination, and a willingness to sit with my own thoughts. I have also discovered they have been my safety net, and, in many ways, free therapy. The trouble is, despite the need to write or paint, by its very nature they are solitary pursuits. Hours can slip by as I lose myself in a canvas or a chapter. My poor husband can attest to that as he is often left to his own devices!

Anyway, the seed for Secrets, Shame and a Shoebox was planted years earlier during a conversation with my grandfather. He spoke fondly of a child his mother once fostered, a memory so vivid and tender, it has stayed with me fifty years on. That single recollection became the spark for two of my characters, Harriet and Kathleen. Though their backgrounds differ dramatically, they are drawn together by a chain of events neither could have foreseen. Their story is one of resilience, connection, and the unexpected ways lives intertwine.

My years as a lecturer, teaching vulnerable adults, and later in social work, also shaped the emotional landscape of the novels. Those experiences taught me about courage, compassion, and the quiet strength people carry even when life has been unkind. I remain deeply grateful for everything my students and clients taught me. It is their stories, struggles, and triumphs which echo through the pages of my book. In many ways, my passions, all stem from the same place: a desire to understand people and to honour their stories.

I think, while creativity may begin in solitude, its true power lies in connection. And that, more than anything, is what keeps me returning to the blank page. I hope in some small way, my stories resonate with my readers and if needed, offers a gentle nudge toward survival.

When I was offered a contract for my debut and subsequent companion, I couldn’t believe it and wanted to share the experience with others. I knew others were out there, writing in the quiet corners of their homes, unsure whether their words mattered. I wanted to reach them and build a space where creativity wasn’t something done in isolation, but something we nurtured together. That’s how my free writers’ workshop began. Today, I run three, free creative writing groups, all built on the simple belief that we grow stronger when we support one another. Watching new writers find their confidence has been amazing, and as fulfilling as writing itself.

“In a gentle way you can shake the world…” Mahatma Ghandi. Growing up on a council estate taught me resilience, perspective, and a strong sense of identity. I never saw my background as something to hide or apologise for. It was normal. My normal.  And for everyone who lived there, it was theirs too.

That clarity became especially important during a conference where the speaker made an offhand remark about the area. She suggested that, because the event was being held on a council estate, candidates should be wary, even likening the place to a war zone. Instead of letting it pass, I challenged it, calmly but firmly.

The reaction in the room was immediate: people actually paused, and listened, and to my great surprise, reconsidered their assumptions. In that moment, I realised something important about myself. I could use my voice to make people think, to disrupt bias, and to shift a conversation. It was the first time I truly understood the power of words. Not just to express who I am but hopefully begin to influence how others see the world.

Harriet Laws has lost almost everything, but the quiet kindness of neighbours helps her begin again. A poor choice in marriage and long‑kept secrets rise to the surface. As she confronts what she once ran from, Harriet discovers the strength to rebuild a future on her own terms.

A favourite line from Secrets, Shame, and a Shoebox: Your childhood will shape your life, it is the path you choose that will shape your future.

Fun fact

I originally wrote the story as a way to explore how ordinary people carry extraordinary strength. The shoebox itself was inspired by a real keepsake box. It maybe small, and unremarkable, but it holds memories far bigger than its size.

What was the most difficult thing about writing in conjunction with the other authors.

I have tried working with other authors on two occasions. While I am excited by the prospect I found I wasn’t a match. I look forward to finding someone – one day.

What was the best thing about writing in conjunction with other authors

I love sharing and listening to viewpoints – the creative writing groups do exactly that. It helps me develop and hone my skills and in return I offer my thoughts.

Link: Mybook.to/twentyone

www.instagram.com/lynngriffinauthoruk 

www.Facebook.com/lynngriffinauthor/

http://www.wifeinthewest.com

Please help me welcome today’s guest, friend and fellow author Pamela Thibodeaux…

Giving on Purpose How 30 Days of Conscious Giving can Chang Your Life.

Here’s the Blurb: What if the key to abundance isn’t giving more—but giving in balance?

We’ve been taught that it’s more blessed to give than to receive. But what if receiving is just as sacred as giving? And what if the two were never meant to exist apart?

The Giving on Purpose journal invites you to explore the powerful, often misunderstood connection between giving and receiving. If you’ve ever felt like you give endlessly—your time, love, energy, or resources—yet struggle to receive in return, this journal was created for you.

Through guided reflection and intentional prompts, Giving on Purpose gently opens your heart and mind to conscious giving—helping you recognize where imbalance may be blocking blessings and how aligning giving with receiving can transform your spiritual and emotional well-being.

✨ Inside, you’ll discover how to:

•           Release guilt around receiving

•           Recognize your worthiness to receive from God

•           Cultivate deeper gratitude in everyday life

•           Restore balance between generosity and abundance

By the final page, readers experience a renewed sense of self-worth, a deeper belief in their God-given worthiness to receive, and a lasting attitude of gratitude.

Give freely. Receive boldly. Live abundantly.

Giving on Purpose: How 30 Days of Conscious Giving can Change Your Life is your invitation to do all three—without guilt, fear, or limitation.

Why I Wrote Giving on Purpose How 30 Days of Conscious Giving can Chang Your Life: Many people give automatically, it’s just part of our nature. But then, at some point, some folks get frustrated or resentful because you feel like you’re giving and giving and getting nothing in return. But the truth is we are always receiving! Scripture and the Universal Law of Divine Compensation tell us that when we give, it shall be given unto us good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over! I really believe this project will revolutionize the way we think about giving and receiving / sowing and reaping.

Giving on Purpose is available now in Paperback, Hardcover and for Kindle (FREE in KU!)

BIO: Pamela S. Thibodeaux grew up in the town of Iowa, Louisiana. She is a mother, grandmother, award-winning author, life coach and spiritual mentor. Her tagline, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ defines her life, writing, and coaching style. 

Find and Follow Pam via her Website and Social Media links found via Linktree: https://linktr.ee/pamelasthibodeauxauthor

EXCERPT:

There is Always Something to Give

Before I received the revelation that inspired this journal, I, like many, feared giving. Especially money. For much of my life, my intentions to obey and/or give were overruled by all the reasons why I couldn’t. Not always, but when there was more month at the end of my money or when I felt prompted to give but questioned whether that was truly God or guilt or just me. But as I’ve grown and matured and come to realize the truth of how powerful giving is, I do my best to act immediately when the urge hits.

Another misconception we have around giving is that money is the only commodity that truly counts. Not so!

Do you own a garden and give fruit and vegetables to your family, friends, and neighbors? Are you a hunter who shares the meat you harvest with food banks or needy families?

When he was alive, my husband loved satsumas, so we planted two trees in our yard. Every year he’d gather bags and bags of these sweet citrus fruits and give them away.

Once he went to get a haircut and a lady was talking about her husband’s diabetes and how much he loved satsumas but how expensive a small bag was. My husband went home and brought back two plastic bags full for her! He didn’t know this woman or her husband. He just enjoyed giving whatever and whenever he could.

He also loved to make jelly…you guessed it, to give away. No matter the cost, time or energy that went into making pint jars of gooey goodness, he was always willing to share the joy he experienced in doing this.

One of the 13 stories in A Friday the 13th Story #9: A Hundred Black Sunrises by Tamela Miles

At the edge of Altadena, the so-called “Enchanted Forest” near the Cobb Estate feels magical…but only sometimes. At other times, it’s more like something is quietly watching and waiting in the shadows of the trees.

I grew up in Altadena, down the hill about seven minutes, and this quiet place never quite lost its eerie for me. There’s a special kind of uncomfortable there during the Santa Ana winds season.  Hikers often speak of hearing distant screams or of footsteps right beside them as they tread.  Others insist they’ve caught glimpses of eerie lights or felt a lingering presence trailing behind them, only to turn and find no one there – no one visible, anyway.

My story, A Hundred Black Sunrises, features the “Enchanted Forest” in my beloved Altadena, with Finn and Sienna choosing to spend an afternoon there for a picnic. Hm. It’s obvious they’re not Altadena natives, as that’s probably the last place to choose for a delightful day of fun. And that would be during the daylight hours. We don’t speak about the disturbing possibilities after dusk…