History

Excerpt from Freedom’s Ring

From Chapter 1 Buy now! One man detached himself from the group of law clerks gawking at Temperance after her humiliation in her own dining room — Owen Randolph, Papa’s apprentice. Temperance’s heart softened a little. Here was the one person who’d shown her any kindness, even for a moment, in her difficulty with Lord David. … Read more

18th century games: nine man morris

In Freedom’s Ring, Temperance Hayes loves games of strategy—whether they’re board games or games of the heart. Check out all the games we refer to! Nine man morris One game they mention several times in the book is nine man morris (also called nine men’s morris, mill(s), cowboy checkers and more). Each player places 9 … Read more

18th century games: tic-tac-toe . . . ?

In Freedom’s Ring, Temperance Hayes loves games of strategy—whether they’re board games or games of the heart. Check out all the games we refer to! Believe it or not, one of the very first games a child learns to play actually led me to a research rabbit hole when I couldn’t figure out what my … Read more

18th century games: dissected maps (puzzles!)

In Freedom’s Ring, Temperance Hayes loves games of strategy—whether they’re board games or games of the heart. Check out all the games we refer to! Dissected maps Temperance doesn’t use this one, but her sisters are playing with a dissected map in one scene. This is not an early biology lesson, but an early puzzle! … Read more

18th century games: A Journey Through Europe

In Freedom’s Ring, Temperance Hayes loves games of strategy—whether they’re board games or games of the heart. Check out all the games we refer to! A Journey Through Europe The first board game by an individual designer! (Before this, board games are “folk games,” developed over centuries.) Designed in 1759 by John Jefferys. Players start … Read more

18th century games: checkers

In Freedom’s Ring, Temperance Hayes loves games of strategy—whether they’re board games or games of the heart. Check out all the strategy games we refer to! Checkers/draughts I was really excited to call checkers “draughts,” but when I consulted the definitive Oxford English Dictionary, I found that checkers became the term in British America as … Read more

18th century games: fox games!

In Freedom’s Ring, Temperance Hayes loves games of strategy—whether they’re board games or games of the heart. Check out all the strategy games we refer to! Fox and geese Fox and geese is played on a + shaped board. One fox and 13 or more geese pieces are placed on vertices of the lines on … Read more

Excerpt from A Lady to Lead

From Chapter 2 Buy now! Nathaniel entered the room and nearly turned around to walk out again. Helen Crofton was standing at the fireplace, back turned to him. Helen didn’t bother to hide her disappointment when she turned and caught sight of him. She dipped into the barest of curtsies. “Do you wish to sit?” … Read more