Happy December, readers! In last month’s newsletter, I announced my decision to take a six month sabbatical from social media, starting December 1, exchanging those posts for a new bonus content newsletter beginning December 18 (for those who opted in.) Your support of this decision was overwhelming and definitely affirmed my decision. Many of you included stories of your own social media breaks and how rewarding you found the experience. Several authors noted that, while on break, they maintained rewarding connections with their readers. I genuinely hope that will be the case for me and you over the next six months.
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Meet the Author
With so many new subscribers (Welcome, friends!), it seemed like the perfect time for a “Meet the Author” refresh. I’ve included an infographic below with fun details on me and my books. Do we have anything in common? Was there anything that surprised you? Reply to this email and let me know!
Fictional Characters, Real Settings
With the holidays coming up, festivity is to be expected. When it came to festivity in the 1910s – at least for the rebellious youth – dance halls often came to mind. Featured in my novel, Twisted River, St. Louis’s Cave Hall was one of the premier dance halls of the time and for many decades after under the name Castle Ballroom. Located above a row of Olive Street shops, Cave Hall’s wood-planked dance floor and extended ceiling encompassed most of the building’s top two floors. From the raised stage at its farthest end, a mixed band led hundreds of couples to the rhythms of a fresh ragtime beat. Up above, a narrow balcony allowed space to observe the dancing or spend more intimate time in its dark corners. But it was on the hall’s edges that the boisterous gaiety was at its most extreme. Trussed up ladies and their beaus shuffled together in merry conversation, often discussing nothing of more consequence than the latest twenty-minute nickelodeon film. They were out on the town; talk of employment and politics were serious topics for parlors and dining tables, not rebellious dance halls.
Built in 1908 by Cornelius Ahern and Herman Albers, the hall was completely non-alcoholic, allowing it to thrive even throughout Prohibition. According to records, the infamous Morality Squad only visited one night in December 1911, hoping to enforce laws against inappropriate dancing. Supposedly forgetting that the hall was closed on Monday, they simply left. Otherwise, they may have witnessed the dances performed by Twister River‘s characters: the Grizzly Bear, Turkey Trot, and Lame Duck, amongst others. After many years in disrepair, Castle Ballroom was demolished in 2012.
What I Read in 2023
As the year comes to a close, here are my recommended reads from 2023, listed by genre then by time period for historicals. Have you read any of these? Which books should I add to my must-read list in 2024?
1690s Scotland: Royal and Ancient by Amanda Lauer; Post-Revolutionary War: Adrift by Rhonda Ortiz; Pre-Civil War/Antebellum: 12 Days of Courting Miss Thomas by Dani Renee (only available to her newsletter subscribers); Civil War: A River Between Us by Jocelyn Green; 1920s: Meet Me at the Clock by Tanya E. Williams, In Spotlight and Shadow by Rachel Scott McDaniel, The Metropolitan Affair by Jocelyn Green, and Through Thorny Ways by Jennifer Q. Hunt; Great Depression: In a Far-Off Land by Stephanie Landsem; World War II Germany: Cradles of the Reich by Jennifer Coburn. Note: Due to the nature of the story, Cradles of the Reich is not a clean read, but I found it to be thought-provoking.
Firetender and Enkindle in Me by Erin Lewis; Anyone But Him by Theresa Linden; Cathey’s Creek Road and Already in the Kudzu by Hannah Hood Lucero; The One She Can’t Forget and The One Who Promised Forever by Tara Grace Ericson; Much Ado About a Latte, Sold on Love, and Two to Tango by Kathleen Fuller.
Kingdom of Lies* and City of Secrets by Megan Lynn Rose (Romantasy); The Divided Kingdom by Allison Ramirez (Dystopian); Azure Blaze by Elizabeth Natalia (Superhero); The Desolate World, The Rejected King*, and The Promised Prince* by Kortney Keisel. (*=Re-read and even better the second time around)
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Until next month, happy reading!
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Kelsey
Purchase signed copies of my books: kelseygietl.com
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Purple Mask Publishing
2025 Zumbehl Rd, Ste. 33
St. Charles, MO 63303
