Anna Osborn Anthony, Wife of D.R. Anthony

Anna Osborn Anthony (usually called Annie) married thirty-nine-year-old Daniel Read Anthony when she was just nineteen. Only the basic facts and a few tantalizing glimpses remain of her.

Susan B. Anthony sister-in-law honored

Susan B Anthony sister in law

Susan B. Anthony’s sister-in-law and brother were honored with a historical marker in Leavenworth, Kansas. This marks their support for women’s rights.

Historical research: Walk where they walked

large white house with picket fence

When I first researched Susan and her family, I walked where they walked. Wearing a long skirt, wool cape, and boots, I trudged snow-clogged streets of old Rochester. A bit later, I was dismayed to learn that the Rochester home of Frederick Douglass no longer exists. Undeterred, I branched out to visit Seneca Falls, where […]

“Impressively Crafted” Novel Now on Kindle

It’s so rewarding when a professional book reviewer “gets” the book that you’ve worked on for several years. That happened recently when Midwest Book Review praised The Truth About Daniel. And to celebrate, we made the book available on Kindle! Click here to get a copy on your own device. And PLEASE review it. Reviews […]

Historical fiction: when the research trail goes cold

Susan B Anthony family

Last time we discussed two kinds of historical fiction: historical-era fiction that uses a few props from a previous timeframe as a general backdrop for fictional characters, and fact-based historical fiction that contains authentic details from books, newspapers, and artifacts that reference real people who lived and breathed. This type of writing also brings in popular social […]

Vineyard Woman with Nerves of Steel

Susan B Anthony family

Today’s heroine for Women’s History Month is Beulah Vanderhoop of Martha’s Vineyard, a maritime conductor on the Underground Railroad in the 1850s. She had the courage it took to assist as many as eight ex-slaves to safety and in my novel, profoundly affected Annie Osborn of Edgartown. Though Vanderhoop is firmly grounded in history, the […]

Who Gathered at the Osborns for Christmas?

Susan B Anthony family

Annie Osborn had ten siblings spanning three decades, since her father was married three times (widowed twice). Here are some glimpses of who may have joined her on Martha’s Vineyard for her family Christmas in 1863:

Replica of Historic Captain’s Home on Vineyard

Susan B Anthony family

  It was fun visiting Martha’s Vineyard several years ago and seeing where Anna Osborn Anthony grew up as daughter of whaling captain Abraham Osborn. Unfortunately, I was not able to see the interior of the house, but the inside look at this historic replica of that era helps me imagine my heroine in the rooms where she […]

Shipwrecked!

Two large and numerous small ships foundering in a choppy sea off the coast of Martha's Vineyard

Storms off Martha’s Vineyard can get fierce with 35- to 40-knot winds and 20- to 25-foot seas. Read on for contemporary and historical accounts of sea rescues.