by Kristin Holt | Jan 16, 2017 | Articles
Have you ever stumbled across a turn of phrase (hold your horses, for instance) in a western historical romance and wondered if it fit? Or if that phrase was too new to be accurate historically? I have. While writing my past few western historical romances, I’ve paused and taken the time to look up most of these phrases, but I probably missed some. I want to share a handful with you here (that appeared in Pleasance’s First Love, set in 1879), along with the history behind that common phrase (colloquialism), when it came to be, and how we know that origin.
by Kristin Holt | Sep 20, 2016 | Articles
Marcia A. Zug’s 2016 publication, Buying a Bride (New York University Press) is a timely narrative of the history of mail-order brides, from colonial days in the Americas (French and English) through the growth and westward migration of the United States, and into contemporary times. The nonfiction work is an easy read, informative, amusing, enlightening, and draws heavily from original sources. Ever wondered about the TRUTH behind mail-order brides–whether in today’s news, as a setting for favorite Old West Romances, or even pre-Revolutionary War? This five-star nonfiction book is for you!
by Kristin Holt | Jun 26, 2016 | Articles
Historic Silver City, Idaho, nestled deep within the Owyhee Mountains has a rich history of gold and silver mining. The historic town is LIVING HISTORY at its finest! I share a blend of Victorian and modern photos. Historical facts about the town and county too. #JacquieRogersAdo16.
by Kristin Holt | May 27, 2016 | Articles
When did the term “O.K.” or “okay” find its way into common use in American English? Is it incorrect (and inaccurate) to use “okay” in 19th century fiction? What if it’s spelled “O.K.”? What does O.K. stand for, anyway? I’ve provided numerous historical newspaper articles and snippets showing the etymology and proving one of the spellings (O.K.) is highly accurate in the 19th century, but the other (okay) is not.
by Kristin Holt | May 3, 2016 | Articles
Amazon selected ISLAND OF VICEĀ as one of the Top 100 books of 2012; it also selected it as one of the Top Ten history books of the year. I purchased three editions: hardback, audible, and kindle; listened to the audio edition (15 hours, 28 minutes), reread much of the kindle edition and hardback.
From an amateur historian viewpoint–and my fascination with all things late 19th century–this nonfiction title deserves five stars. I learned so very much from every chapter, found myself so ever much better informed about the 1890’s in politics, the Reform Movement (Progressive Era). Review contains two pages of images from the hardback and kindle editions.
