Sometimes It’s Hard to be a Woman*

I love the era my books are set in – the fashions, the music, the movies, etc. I love it, but I also think that, though the 1930s are a lovely place to visit, I most definitely wouldn’t want to live there. I’ve been doing research on Book #3 in the Viv and Charlie Mystery Series, and I found all of the following ads in ONE magazine from June 1939. It was tough to be a woman then (and especially a woman of any color/creed other than generic WASP). Basically, a woman’s sole goal then boiled down to get a man and keep him happy. And keeping him happy was, apparently, the hard part.

If you don’t have a husband it’s probably because you stink.

Colgate

Maybe you’re lucky enough to have snagged a man… But then why has your husband giving you the bums rush lately? And why are the neighborhood ladies snickering behind their hands when you walk by? Well, it’s because you stink and you’re dirty, of course.

Lux

Lifebuoy

Mum1

Lysol_OneNeglect

(If you’re having trouble decoding that Lysol ad, here’s what women were expected to do with Lysol back then.  Yes, that’s the very same Lysol you spray on your toilet today as a disinfectant.)

Or perhaps your husband is unhappy and is about to leave you because not only are you dirty and you stink, but you are underweight and moody (probably from all that laundry you’ve been doing).

Ironized Yeast

Women are still told through ads that we aren’t good enough, of course. But I’d like to think it’s done today in a subtler and less man-centric way. Or maybe I’m just kidding myself…

*Apologies to Tammy Wynette. And you reader, because now you have that song stuck in your head.

Library Love

heart_library-300

I’m not the first to think that writing is an isolating occupation. I sit alone, usually with earbuds in, typing out a story that exists only my head. I now have a book out there in the world, and presumably people are reading it. I can see the book’s sales on Amazon (I still haven’t decided whether that’s good or bad to know such things.) But what I get the biggest kick out of is checking the OCLC – World Library Catalog to see what libraries in the US have my book on their shelves. I can even click on each location to see how many copies they have and whether they’re checked out (I let out a little squee of excitement when I find holds placed on it).

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I heart libraries. I always have. I’ve had and used a library card every place I’ve ever lived. I have very fond memories of begging my mom to take me to the tiny Ottoville Public Library on Wednesday nights (Wednesdays because that’s the only day they stayed open later than 5 PM). It’s still located in the same building, by the way, but it looks like late hours are now on Mondays. (I’m not sure if my book’s there. Can someone local check for me?)

So it thrills me a little that people all over the country are happening upon a book I’ve written on the New Arrivals shelf, picking it, and checking it out – just like I’ve done countless times over the years.

In Case You Missed Them

I’ve recently guested on some lovely blogs and thought I’d share those links here.

I wrote about “Writing a Woman Sleuth” on the History From a Woman’s Perspective blog.

I discussed research and “Writing an Authentic Historical Mystery” for the Recipe for Murder blog.

And finally, I related a favorite anecdote from my travels and The Magic of Coincidence (or Avoiding Jail Time in Rome) on the Dear Reader blog.

And here’s a bonus photo of THE DARKNESS KNOWS awaiting prospective readers on the New Arrivals table at my local Barnes & Noble (just because). Doesn’t it look pretty?

On the Shelf at BandN