Biding time

It seems like its all I've been doing lately is biding time. Last year when Bob and I decided to look into adopting an older child, I never dreamed we would still be in limbo. Everything goes so slowly. And to think I had hopes of having him last Christmas. Now it looks as though it will push it for the summer. We still haven't been officially approved even though everything's done. Maybe by the end of March!!!


And I'm still biding time on my submissions. I had expected a reply for Wild Child before now or had hoped. Hate sending a reminder.

And Winds of Betrayal is going so slow. I went back to what I previously wrote for one half of the book. To be honest I cut Patriot Secrets. I'm using the last half of the original for Winds of Betrayal. The problem with that is that I wrote it ten years ago. That computer is long gone. I never transferred it over. I have it printed out. Now I have to go back and type it all in. Trying to decide whether to type as seen and go back and revise because it's going to need more revisions or revise as I go. And then the other half of the book, I've hit a snag. I know what I want to do, but how to get there in a believeable manner. Information surrounding Charleston during that time is limited (from a women's point of view) for what I'm looking for. The battle information is there. I know I've seen what I'm looking for before, just have to find it. The whole of the time in the Southern campaign seems rather brutual. I'll get it, though. Already have some good ideas.

I went back the other day and researched what fictional books there are with a similar theme. Ten years ago I couldn't find any with women spies in the American Revolution. Still not a lot. There's one which directly deals with 355 from the Culper spy ring. I have to get it and read it, but it seems to have taken a different direction. Hope so. Believe there could be several explanations. Surprised really that it hasn't been done more often, not with all it has surrounding it- intrigue, mystery, sex (it was rumored she had a child on board the Jersey). But there a few rumors pertaining to her. No one knows her true identity or if there was truly a 355. So much my little mind could come up with.

Patriots Secrets only leds up to the Culper ring. I love putting my heriones into these situation because I believe in this time period it could have happened. Men in general back then, British and American both, didn't believe that women were capable of deception. I believe they were and would have been efficient in their efforts. The women seemed to have been just as passionate for their cause as the men of that time.

And then to get into Benedict Arnold's betrayal! A whole other blog!!!!

Comments

  1. There are many female spies from the Revolution, I've spent a lot of time researching women of the Revolution, and my focus for many years has centered on 355 (I routinely search for anything published on her, and your post caught my attention for this reason). Little documented evidence of her existence or what exactly she did exists, which is why little is written. You happen to have also included an early academic interest of mine--Charleston--which makes me want to suggest some resources. I apologize if these are repeats.

    You might consider E.F. Ellet's outdated Women of the American Revolution, if you have not stumbled across this. There are several women connected with Charleston, Rebecca Motte (technically outside of Charleston) immediately comes to mind. John S. Pancake's This Destructive War is one of the best sources on the Carolina Campaigns, and does include a few buried references to women, but focusing on books about Women in the Revolution will uncover a lot more female spies. Dicey Langston and Nancy Morgan Hart are good ones to chase if you're interested in the Carolinas.

    You might also take interest in spies like Lydia Darragh.

    I have no idea how much contact you have had with local resources in Charleston, but you might consider trying to contact some of these. There really is a lot out there, if you're willing to dig and approach things in different ways. Resources on women's history are rarely cataloged under the woman's name, but generally exist as part of family materials.

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