About Kathy Otten:
Kathy lives in the rolling farmland of western New York. She has
been making up stories since she was in grade school, creating such works as
Lucky the Dog and the Lost Uranium Mine. With a dad who was a fan of John Wayne
and a mom who loved antiques, Kathy's imagination soon became fascinated with
the past, especially the period in American history from the start of the Civil
War through the end of the free range cowboys.
Kathy has been married for 30 years and raised three children.
When she is not at her computer she can be found walking her dog through the woods
and pastures near her home, or curled up with a good book and one of her five
cats.
Kathy Shares Her Writing Techniques:
When I write, some of the most fun I have is in doing research.
It’s kind of a treasure hunt for me, setting off in search of buried facts.
Since most of my stories are westerns, I needed to set off on a
whole new adventure, researching a monied society on the east coast. I knew
Maddy’s family was old money, with original Boston bloodlines. That type of
wealth included an expensive house on Beacon Hill. I searched the internet for
Beacon Hill real estate and found a house that had been built in the early
1800’s. Since the house was for sale the site had posted several interior photos.
I printed them out and suddenly had a glimpse inside the house where Maddy
could have actually lived.
I have a book about early Boston and there was the house right on
the map. There was even an old black and white photograph of the street and the
park across from Maddy’s house. Suddenly my characters felt like relatives on
an ancestory web site. My book also had old maps of Boston, and with my
magnifying glass I could read the names of the actual streets Maddy traveled in
1870.
Next I researched hospitals, and discovered that the police used
to take any sick or injured people they found lying in the street to Boston
City Hospital. I ended up buying a book on the history of Boston City Hospital.
There was a lot of information in it so I may write something in the future
that takes place there. The book had old photographs and pages of description
which I was able to use to make the hospital scenes as realistic as possible.
The most fun though, was researching all things Victorian, from
ballroom etiquette to holiday decorating to the stuffing used in mattresses for
the nursery.
About Another Waltz, plus an excerpt:
After a magical waltz in a winter wonderland with the
only man who has ever made her believe she is beautiful, Madeline Winthrop
doesn't think life could be anymore perfect--until the night of the Christmas
ball when she learns everything James Sullivan has told her is a lie.
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Revenge against Madeline's brother forces James to do
whatever is necessary to get back what was stolen from him, even if he has to
use Madeline to do it. But the one thing he doesn't count on is the way she
makes him feel.
Excerpt:
“Oh Miss,” Molly cried as Madeline pushed open the door.
Toys and books lay scattered across the area rug. Alex
was jumping on his bed, and little Penelope sat in the middle of the floor
screaming.
“I never touched the child.” Molly exclaimed.
“Yes, she did.” Alex argued as he jumped. The tails of
his nightshirt billowed and sagged above his ankles. “I saw her. She hit
Penelope.”
Madeline closed the door, pulled off her long white
gloves, and laid them on a small table beside a china doll.
Disheveled strands of Molly’s red hair had pulled free
from her bun and fallen around her face. Her normally pristine apron was
wrinkled and stained
with food. Deep lines of fatigue sagged beneath her eyes
and bracketed her mouth. Madeline recognized this look every time she gazed
into her mirror at the end of the day.
Madeline marched straight to Penelope. “Stop your crying
at once.”
“She wants to go to Mother’s party.” Alex explained as he
continued to bounce up and down. Beneath his bare feet, a crater-like
indentation had
formed in the center of the horsehair mattress.
“Alex, you will cease that infernal jumping.”
“No. I want a story.”
“Alex, do not argue with your elders.
“Penelope, you are too young to attend the ball, and all
the tears in the world will not change that.”
The little girl snuffled and looked up, her lower lip
protruding in a pout. Moisture glistened on her lashes and dampened her cheeks.
No doubt half of
Penelope’s problem was exhaustion. The little girl should
have been asleep hours ago.
Madeline extended her hand. After a moment’s hesitation,
Penelope rolled to her feet, but instead of wrapping her sticky fingers around
Madeline’s pinky,
she reached out with both hands and clutched two fistfuls
of Madeline’s gown.
Gasping in horror, Madeline grabbed Penelope’s wrists and
tried to pull the child’s fingers away from the taffeta.
“Oh, Miss, I’m so sorry, ’tis beets, from the children’s
supper.” Quickly Molly pried the girl, who began screaming once more, away from
Madeline’s gown.
Two wide smears of purple surrounded by a sunburst web of
wrinkles remained where Penelope’s chubby hands had been.
Horrified Madeline stared at the stains. Tears welled in
her eyes. Her beautiful gown was ruined, and James hadn’t even seen her wearing
it.
Alex ceased his jumping and fell across his pillow howling
with laughter.
Molly steered the little girl away from the dress toward
the wash basin on the other side of the room.
Madeline wasn’t sure what happened, but the next moment
Molly cried out, and Penelope began shrieking.
“She bit me!” Molly cupped her wounded hand to her
breast.
“Enough!” Madeline snapped, longing to scream herself.
Silence descended. Alex sat up. Penelope sniffed and
stared wide-eyed at Madeline.
“Alex, please get into bed. There will be no stories
tonight. Penelope, you will apologize to Molly, and if there is any more
biting, you will lose desserts
for a week. Now go with Molly and wash your hands and
face.”
“You can’t yell at us.” Alex said as he crossed his arms
over his narrow chest. “Mother and Father won’t approve.”
“I assure you, your parents do not want their guests
disturbed by your hooligan behavior.”
“They can’t hear us way up here.”
He was probably right, but it wouldn’t do for a six year
old to know that.
“Are you certain?”
“It doesn’t matter, because Mother will blame you.”
“That may be, but it will be for the last time. I am
leaving this place and when I do, there will be no one left for her to blame
except you.”
Alex narrowed his eyes. “Where are you going?”
“I am to be married and will be moving far, far away.”
Alex fell back on the bed laughing. “You’re not getting
married. You’re lying. No one wants you. You’re a ’barrasment. Father said so.”
Madeline stiffened as though she’d been slapped. She bit
her lip against the pain. They weren’t close, but she never imagined her
brother would betray her like that with a child. She slipped her hand into the pocket
of her gown and removed her spectacles. Hooking them behind her ears, she
pushed aside the hurt and stepped toward the boy, her hands on her hips.
“Get yourself into this bed right now, young man,
or I will…”
He glared at her defiantly.
Her mind raced. “I will march outside, cut a switch from
the nearest tree, come back here, and apply it directly to your backside.”
“You can’t do that,” he declared though a shadow of doubt
crossed his features.
A rapid knocking sounded on the nursery door. Madeline
glanced toward Molly, who hurried past her to answer it.
Alex rolled off the bed. “Mother will never let you hurt
us.”
“It won’t matter. I am leaving.” She watched Alex wrestle
with this logic even as she wondered why she was arguing with a six year old.
“Miss,” Molly called.
Madeline turned.
Waving both hands, Molly urged Madeline to come quickly.
Her heart skipped with excitement as she hurried across the room. James had
arrived.
“Simms sent word, Miss.” The chamber maid, Bridget, stood
in the hallway.
Her eyes wide, a sense of urgency radiated from the
girl’s taut features. “You must come now.”
Dread turned Madeline’s heart to wood inside the hollow
of her chest.
“It’s Mr. Winthrop,” Molly explained. “He claims your
gentleman friend is a housebreaker and wants to have him arrested.”
Web site: http://www.kathyotten.com
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