He stared at the volume. “I recognize this.” He opened it and turned a few pages. “It’s a psalter. Like the one that belonged to my mother. Indeed, exactly like it. Hers was ruined in the storm years ago, but I remember her reading it when I was a boy.” He shut it again and with his index finger traced the carvings of its fine cover. — Captain de Wynter in Of Gentlemen and Heroes Merriam-Webster defines a psalter as “a collection of Psalms for liturgical or devotional use,”[1

I expect most authors—and I am one of them—labor mightily over choosing the right name for their characters. Sometimes a character’s name is obvious to me from the start, and it drops into my mind fully formed as I begin to write. Other times, I spend hours crafting a name with layers of meaning, designed to hint at a deeper truth. Here's a peek at the names in Of Gentlemen and Heroes. Mariah—If you’re a history buff, you may notice I've taken a small liberty here. In 1750 he

Eighteenth-century housewife baking cakes “After we had demonstrated our talents—except the captain, who pled destitution thereof—we feasted on almond ratafia cakes and Sally Lunn buns smothered with butter and jam as the ladies interrogated our fascinating guest.” Mariah Weston in Of Gentlemen and Heroes . As in every age, an eighteenth-century party always featured delicious foods to satisfy everyone’s appetite. Clearly, Mariah and all her cousins, as well as the charism

The Abbott Longcase Clock Today In Part 4 of Of Gentlemen and Heroes , a special longcase clock (in modern times also called a grandfather clock) plays a cameo role. The inspiration for incorporating this piece of furniture into the story is a family heirloom that has belonged to my family for over two hundred years. It stands today in my parents’ front hall. However, when I was a child, it lived in my grandparents’ house in Milford, Connecticut. When my parents and I were vi