Happy Tuesday, readers! Today’s Top Ten topic is “Authors Who Live in My State.” I’m born and raised in the great “Show me State” of Missouri and I’m happy to recommend the following authors who are from here, too.
Susan Laspe – Historical Fantasy
Tara Grace Ericson – Contemporary Romance
Sarah Hanks – Historical Fiction/Split Time/Time Travel
Stephanie Daniels – Historical Fiction
Julie Lessman – Historical Fiction
Annie Cosby – Fantasy
Liz Morrison/Costanzo – Historical Romance and Reincarnation
Happy May, readers! I’m really excited to finally share what I’ve been up to the last few months so let’s dive right in.
What’s in this Edition:
Investigating the Insane – My Visit to the Historic St. Louis Asylum
Releasing in May– Other authors’ new releases I’m most excited about
Investigating the Insane
You may have guessed from my research books that my next book will take place primarily in an asylum. Specifically, it will be based in the fictional town of Hawthorn Ridge, Missouri, where my book For a Noble Purpose also begins (otherwise, the two books are not connected). While the asylum itself is fictional, I’m taking inspiration from the several Missouri institutions that were open at the time.
Last month, I was able to go on a tour of the original St. Louis City Insane Asylum (later, known as the City Sanitarium, St. Louis State Hospital, and the St. Louis Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center), and now serving patients in a different building as the St. Louis Forensic Treatment Center. Their archivist, Andrea, provided interesting insights into the workings of the asylum throughout its history and how it works today.
A Brief History
Similar to other Missouri asylums in the mid-1800s, the belief at the St. Louis Insane Asylum was that if you took people out into the middle of nowhere, the fresh air and slower lifestyle would improve their mental state and help them get well. (Really, not a bad idea even today.) Therefore, even though the asylum is now situated in the middle of a bustling city, in 1869, it was far outside it. The original building, which I toured, is the only surviving building from what would become a small city of operations that included a functioning coal plant to produce electricity, fields to grow food for the patients and workers, a hospital, a poorhouse, a facility specific to women, another specific to children, and much more. For all intents and purposes, at the beginning, their plan worked. Many people did get better or at least had improved quality of life during their stay. However, there were many afflictions that had no cure or good treatments at the time. Even with the best of intentions, many patients never left the asylum.
Below you can see the main building from 1870 the year after opening, then 1890, 1905, and 120 years later in 2025. Note the power plant in the second photo and how the columns on the front entry changed size over time.
Asylum in 1870
Asylum in 1890 with Power Plant
Asylum in 1905
Asylum in 2025
In the late 1800s, after Nellie Bly and many other journalists ran exposes on the atrocious conditions in asylums, society became concerned about all asylums and rightly so. An undercover expose was completed at the St. Louis Insane Asylum and thankfully, received a mostly positive review. While the journalist mentioned extreme overcrowding and terrible food, they also noted that the patients were well cared for and that the staff seemed to treat them with kindness.
A building originally intended for 200+ patients now housed over 1,000. More room was needed, so in 1911, a construction plan began. By 1918, the building had grown to what you see below. Hawthorn Asylum’s size will be somewhere in between.
Asylum in 1918
Unfortunately, with more patients being regularly admitted than there was space, and many never leaving, this plan only went so far. At several points throughout its history, the tiny room below housed as many as three people, and unlike a college dorm room, there was no option to bunk the beds.
A typical patient room
So, why were patients admitted? Honestly, for just about anything. There were real diagnoses such as we would think of today: depression (melancholia), bipolar (mania), alcohol and drug dependency, schizophrenia, and epilepsy, but also things like imbecility and hysteria which could cover a vast range of real and embellished disorders, especially those that went against social norms. Unruly wives, anyone who was too “spiritual,” and those with what we would consider developmental or learning disorders (for example autism, down syndrome, or dyslexia) could be candidates for admission. The table below outlines the reasons for admission in 1908. Note that 460 people were admitted that year alone, including 19 readmissions.
1902 Reasons for Admission
Even with the overcrowding, the asylum staff worked to make life pleasant for their patients. They hosted many events including picnics on the front lawn and dances in the fifth floor ballroom. Unfortunately, the ballroom is all but lost to time, so I was unable to get photographs there, but off the ballroom was a spiral staircase leading to the central dome which had some great views of the surrounding area. Back in the day, this would have been a popular tourist destination as well, with visitors (and staff) literally leaving their mark on the walls.
Below are a few more photos of the original architecture. Check out how tall the original doors were and how they framed them down over time. Also, the art deco lighting fixtures and 1930s stamped ceilings were so cool.
Finally, because everyone expects there to be creepy photos when you visit an asylum, here are a few from the basement, which really wasn’t all that creepy. The photo on the left led from the dentist office to other medical offices and the kitchens. The one on the right shows the arched supports that hold up the building. This area would have looked a lot nicer when the building was still in use by patients, with some parts having had a wood planked floor and ceiling. Now, the upper floors hold administrative offices, archives, and storage.
It’s been so interesting to dive into the history behind this asylum for my next novel, and I’m looking forward to merging many of the things I’ve learned with what my characters experience. If you’re ever in St. Louis, I highly recommend scheduling a tour. For more information, visit: https://dmh.mo.gov/ftc/history.
Releasing in May
Need another read? Here are the new releases I’m excited about:
The Fire of Your Love by Erin Lewis – Having gone from criminal to Catholic convert, a young seminarian must determine if he can overcome his past in order to give God his future. This is book 3 in the series; I highly recommend reading them in order.
Secret Dwellings by Angela Salvaggio – Amidst intrigue, escapades, romance, danger, and blackmail during the Protestant Reformation, a young woman is asked to lay down her life for another in a most unusual way.
Gather Together by Allison Ramirez – The second book in her devotional series focusing on the luminous mysteries of the Rosary as invitations to intimacy
Forest of Truth by Megan Lynn Rose – The exciting conclusion to her Broken Kingdom romantasy series
The Bootlegger’s Betrayal by Tanya E. Williams – In the 1960’s, a journalist comes to report on the Bootlegging Queen’s Prohibition arrest, but there may be far more to the story than she ever imagined.
Want to know what I’m currently reading? Follow me on GoodReads.
Did you know reviews help both readers and authors? Even one sentence is enough, and every word greatly appreciated. Consider leaving a rating on Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, and/or your favorite retailer!
Happy Tuesday, readers! Today’s Top Ten topic is “Words with _____ in the Title.” When browsing the list of books I’ve read, I noticed that there are a lot with the word “lost” in the title. While I enjoyed all these stories, I will note that they are not all Christian Fiction and some include scenes my clean readers may not care for. I’ve marked those with a * below.
Lost in Wonder by Liz Chapman
The Living and the Lost by Ellen Feldman*
Lost Girl by Chanda Hahn
Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon
The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff*
The Lost Melody by Joanne Davidson Politano
The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman*
The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo*
The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jaime Jo Wright
The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright
Have you read any of these? Are there any other “lost” books you’d recommend?
Welcome back to the Extra Edition newsletter! I hope everyone had a very blessed Easter. I’m excited to bring you bonus content each month with a special inside look at my novels and the history behind them.
Behind the Design of Across Oceans
I recently reread my first published novel, Across Oceans, and realized how far I’ve come as an author and cover designer. Since that first design, between my own books and other authors, I’ve created hundreds of different versions of covers, most of which are never shown to the readers. (You can see the ones that made the cut here.) So, today, I thought it would be fun to share the design process for Across Oceans including all three “final” versions.
Version #1 – “The Suitcase”
Across Oceans takes place in the early 1910s, the exact same time that my great-grandmother was married and luckily for me, I still have her wedding dress. Since the story involves travel, I also wanted to incorporate my grandmother’s antique suitcase. Here are some of the photos from the first photo shoot:
Here is how the first cover turned out – my great-grandmother’s wedding dress, gloves, and headpiece inside my grandmother’s suitcase. I was in love with this design. It had exactly the romantic feel and nostalgia I was going for. I even printed a proof copy and still thought it was great.
Then I showed it to my beta readers, and their comments shattered all those warm fuzzy feelings I had. “It’s a great first try.” “It’s boring.” “It looks like an indie cover, you need something more professional.” “The font is, um, ok, I guess.” “The font is definitely wrong.” “Where’s the ocean?” I’ll admit, I was initially overwhelmed, but I picked myself up, reviewed a LOT of historical fiction covers, opened a blank file, and started again.
Version #2 – “Make It Blue”
Photo shoot #2 took a different approach. I realized that readers, especially romance readers, tend to prefer people on the cover. But this was my first book, stock photos were expensive (and still are), and I didn’t yet understand all the nuances of copyrights and acceptable stock sites. Therefore, across my first four books, I only used photos that belonged to me. For Across Oceans, I was the model in my great-grandmother’s wedding dress and my daughter took the photos. Here are a few of the many photos we took:
Despite my love of the suitcase, it didn’t fit the cover and was eventually nixed. I blended the colors on the dress, added an ocean photo I had taken in Florida for the background, drew a ship in Photoshop, added a tagline, and found a better font. I was once again in love with the cover, especially after I received the green light from beta readers. I approved my proof and uploaded it for publication.
Version #3 – “Make it Pink”
But over the next six months, I kept looking at that cover and started feeling that something was off about it. I just couldn’t figure out what. Then one of my beta readers said to me, “Maybe because it’s so blue?” It was like a light went off. She was right! All the colors blended together. It didn’t stand out when compared to other book covers. I did some more research and learned that adding a pop of color (especially a shade of red) is more likely to draw a reader’s eye. So, I changed the sky to a pinkish purple, added a background and border to the title, and swapped out the tagline for an author endorsement to better fill the space. Across Oceans also received a new series title: Over the Atlantic.
Voila! Here is the cover that has been used ever since:
Happy April, readers! In Missouri, the flowers are blooming and the trees are green again. It makes me want to turn on my copy of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and sing, “June Bride” and “Spring, Spring, Spring.”
Releasing in April – Other authors’ new releases I’m most excited about.
Research
Well, we’ve reached that time again, when the librarians at my local branch know that I’ve started researching a new book. It feels like I’m there every other day to pick up my holds. (Definitely not a complaint. The library is my jam. Do people say that anymore? Probably not. They probably say something full of Gen-Z slang that I don’t even understand the meaning of. Seriously, I’m still trying to figure out what skibidi means. No one can give me a good answer.)
Anyway, the past few months I’ve been brainstorming/outlining/researching my next novel. Instead of outlining an entire series at once, like I did with Larksong Legacy, I’ve gone back to my model from my first four books. Basically, I’m planning this one as a standalone novel and if it organically spawns a sequel or a series, I’ll embrace it as it happens. By taking this method to heart, I’ve been enjoying the process and finding myself able to relax and also read more novels just for fun.
That said, I want to share some of my research books to give you a taste of what my next project involves. Take a look and let me know what you think some of the themes might be. Who are the characters? What year are we in? What’s the setting? I’m curious to hear your guesses.
Brave Authors Interview and Giveaway
Today, I’m being featured on the Brave Authors blog to talk about my books and especially some of the tough topics within Sparks Fly Upward. The Brave Authors are a collaboration of Christian fiction authors who dare to go to hard places in their writing in order to bring the healing and hope-filled message of the gospel. Their group includes several authors I’ve designed covers for including Sarah Hanks, Jennifer Q. Hunt, and Hannah Hood Lucero and I’m excited to announce that I’m designing the covers for their anthology series to be published this fall. Head over to the link below to learn more and enter for a chance to win one signed copy of any of my books.
I am honored to be listed on the Catholic Artist Network for the St. Louis, Missouri area which highlights the work of Catholic artists throughout the area and hosts the St. Louis Catholic Art Festival in September. Their website describes the goals of the network really well:
“Our goal is to connect Catholic artists and art enthusiasts. The network is open to all area Catholic artists, from the fair-weather hobbiest to the full-time virtuoso. We value orthodoxy in faith and diversity in artistic forms, expressions and audiences. We support Catholic artists creating sacred liturgical art, devotional art, and secular art infused with a Christian-worldview.
The network is also open to all Catholic art appreciators and supporters. Supporters have always had an important role in the formation of great art. We want this network to be the place to connect Catholic art appreciators with local Catholic artists.
We believe beauty can shape souls, build up disciples, and serve the New Evangelization and the mission ad gentes. Our vision is inspired by St. John Paul II, especially his Letter to Artists. It is our hope that the Catholic Artist Network radiates the light of the Risen Christ.”
Do you live in the St. Louis area and want to support a good cause? Come out to Incarnate Word Academy’s annual Spring Boutique event on Thursday, April 24 from 5-9 p.m. Fellow author, Susan Laspe, and I will have a table alongside many other alumnae vendors. Registration is required with registration fees going toward student scholarship funds.
Need another read? Here are the new releases I’m excited about:
Delirious by Susan Laspe – the final book in this medieval meets Roman mythology fantasy adventure series with a splash of romance. I was a beta reader and it was so good!
A Rose in West Egg by Storm Shultz – a librarian falls into a copy of The Great Gatsby…literally…and into a unexpected murder mystery
Tempest at Annabel’s Lighthouse by Jaime Jo Wright – a 19th century ghostly legend follows this dual-timeline story of “torn loyalty, self-discovery, and the haunting forces of love and a vengeance that should have drowned a century before.”
Splinters and Seams by Courtney Rivera – living in the shadow of her family, a young woman struggles to uncover the secrets of her past
The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House by Joanna Davidson Politano – historical gothic romance of a young woman who must unravel the mysteries of her deceased uncle and earn her inheritance
Want to know what I’m currently reading? Follow me on GoodReads.
Did you know reviews help both readers and authors? Even one sentence is enough, and every word greatly appreciated. Consider leaving a rating on Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, and/or your favorite retailer!
