The Bloodstone Brooch Author Notes
The Bloodstone Brooch didn’t turn out to be the book I set out to write. Early on, Tavis and his family took over the story, and Teddy Roosevelt, Lillian Wald, and Jacob Riis became minor characters. The Topaz, The Sunstone, and The Bloodstone will probably become known as the Viking Trilogy. But now, we are done with the Vikings, and we can hopefully return to simpler stories instead of 700 and 800-page sagas.
What’s up with all this lateral traveling? I’m not sure, but it does allow the clan to travel without polluting the skies. Will they continue to use that method? I don’t know. I think Elliott will keep the brooches locked up and use them only for emergencies.
What’s left for the clan to discover? We still don’t know what’s behind the cave door in the Highlands, what’s in the cave at MacKlenna Farm, or what’s written on the papyrus scroll. As soon as the next brooch turns up, we’ll find out what’s behind the door.
So, let the guessing begin!
What’s true and not true in The Bloodstone Brooch?
The story of Thorfinn and Macbeth is accurate, and they did go to Rome, but as far as I know, Thorfinn didn’t buy twenty-five gemstones. Thorfinn was married to Ingibiorg, and his grandmother was a sorceress—that part is also historical, but the love spell is…well…a figment of my imagination.
While researching the early history of Roman Britain, I came across references to Hadrian’s Wall, and while I found it fascinating, I couldn’t connect it to the brooches. Nor could I connect the Pictish stones. But the ideas continued to float around in my brain for a year, and I knew sooner or later I would have to figure it out.
The history of the Pictish stones is fascinating, and you might find this article helpful. The symbols on the Pictish stone in The Bloodstone Brooch are actual symbols, except those at the bottom, but the meanings and interpretations used in my story are mostly fictional.
The Greek and Roman Collection at The Met is real. The Museum’s first accessioned object was a Roman sarcophagus from Tarsus, donated in 1870. Its first director (1879–1904), Luigi Palma di Cesnola, was appointed on the strength of the acquisition and display of his collection of antiquities from Cyprus.
After I decided to hide a scroll inside the sarcophagus, I found the following article. In May, archaeologists in Egypt announced that they uncovered a trove of ancient artifacts, and among them were 250 sarcophagi with well-preserved mummies inside. They found a complete and sealed papyrus in one of the wooden sarcophagi. The article reinforced my idea that hiding the scroll there wasn’t as crazy as I initially thought!
The steatopygous is also part of the Greek and Roman collection, but as far as I know, it’s not like a cookie jar that opens.
While researching Arron’s breastplate and different gemstones, I found the Kiddush Cup online and bought one. At the time, I had no idea how it would fit into the story, only that it would. The connection to JC was a “wow moment.”
Tying a Pictish stone, a sarcophagus, and a Kiddush cup into a story was a long shot, and while I was writing over the fall and winter and into the spring, I had trouble wrapping my mind around the idea. In fact, I suspect that’s why it took so long to finish this book.
When people asked me what the story was about, I would say 1896 New York City with Lillian Wald, Jacob Riis, Teddy Roosevelt, two 12th century Vikings, a Pictish stone, a sarcophagus, a Kiddush cup, immigration, discrimination, climate change, police corruption, a performance by Lillian Russell, and that the story would probably be seven to eight hundred pages. At that point, their eyes would roll.
Archaeology has been an interest of mine since I first discovered the pyramids as a child, and I’ve always wanted to go to Egypt and explore them. It’s still on my wish list. So this story fulfills some of that early passion.
I stumbled upon Jacob Schiff while researching Lillian Wald, and I found him so interesting that I wanted to include him. And what is so cool is that his four- or five-times-great-grandson is a friend of my grandson, James Cullen. What a small world.
Teddy Roosevelt supported women’s suffrage and became a champion of women’s rights, so I believe he would have enjoyed Aislinn’s company, especially if they could talk about guns and boxing. Their interactions are strictly my imagination at work, although the conversations at the dinner party are based on fact.
The artist Alexander Hay Ritchie was born in Glasgow in 1822 and moved to New York City in 1841. He did not paint the Corrimony Chambered Cairn Rocks.
The merger between Lehman Brothers and Kuhn, Loeb & Co. was an actual merger, although the law firm is fictional.
McSorley’s Old Ale House is located in the East Village and has survived since it opened in the mid-19th century. I changed the location to work with the story.
Del’s would not have given Jack and Matt preferential treatment. The restaurant had a no-reservation policy, except for the private dining rooms. The rich and famous had to wait for a table just like everybody else.
The famous boxing match between Bob Fitzsimmons and Tom Sharkey with Wyatt Earp as referee occurred in San Francisco in 1896, but I changed the location to New York City. I wish I could have included the fight in the story, but it didn’t work out.
Lillian Wald’s Settlement House did get a $6.24 million gift, but I wanted to give her a donation anyway. Jacob Schiff did continue to support the Henry Street Settlement.
The 10-day heat wave of 1896 killed nearly fifteen hundred people, many of them tenement-dwellers across New York City, and Roosevelt did distribute ice to the poorest people in the Lower East Side.
Here are pictures of Aislinn’s theater dress and tiara.
Here’s the history of Erik’s New York City house.
It was fun to see the clan back together for a songfest and to hear David’s sax again. Check out The Bloodstone Brooch playlist on Spotify.
If you are interested in some of the dishes from Delmonico’s master chef Charles Ranhofer’s cookbook, The Epicurean, you can find it on Amazon.
Lillian Russell did star in The Goddess of Truth in 1896, but I changed the date to work with the story.
It takes a village to write and produce one of these big books. And I couldn’t do it without the assistance of a lot of people:
Chief Editor and Content Editor: Faith Freewoman
Virtual Assistant, Fact Checker, Researcher, and Keeper of the Celtic Brooch Series Bible: Annette Glahn
Beta Readers: Lori Seiderman, Karen Costantino, Paula Retelsdorf
Marine Advisor: John Retelsdorf
Medical Advisor: Dr. Ken Muse
Professor of Journalism at New York University and Interlocutor: Robert S. Boynton
Humorous/Philosopher/Singer/Songwriter: Inda Eaton
Boxing coach: Paul Frediani
Interior Design and New York City architecture: John Stedila
Cover Design by Damonza
Interior Design by BB eBooks
AND
My dog-walking friends in Lexington, KY, and East Hampton, NY
Thank you Katherine! I know you hear it a lot, but once more won’t hurt! I AM IN ABSOLUTE AWE AT YOUR IMAGINATION AND ABLITY TO INCORPORATE SUCH VERIED AND ACCURATE HISTORY INTO THESE STORIES!! Just when I have more questions about one of the characters past or where they fit in, you seem to address that on the next page.. And I’m always blown away by their history and how you can make so many people tie together on so many levels. Especially when you got into the long ago centuries and back and forth in time. I’m amazed… Read more »
Thank you, Liz in Colorado! I’m so glad you enjoyed the stories. Lafitte was such a wonderful character and readers want more of him. Maybe one days I’ll write a short story about him and Marguarette. That is, if I can figure out how to do that!
When will the Audible version of blood stone be available?
November
Thanks! I buy both the book and the Audible versions. I find that listening to the Audible version after reading the book, it gives a different perspective on the story.
Just the information I needed. I’ve been chomping at the bit for the Audible and restarted the series hoping it was October. Sigh. I love your series and gobble them up over and over, especially when a new one is released. Keep up the good work!
I know you must get this question a lot but I couldn’t find the answer online and I’m so excited for the moonstone book when is the release date for the next book?
I haven’t started it yet and it takes at least a year to research and write a big book.
I loved this series. It was do hard to put a book down once I would start it.
When will Book 12: The Bloodstone Brooch be available on Audible?
Toward the end of November.
I love your notes about the books. It’s sweet to dip into the bits and pieces of the history you include in your stories. Thank you. Waiting now for the audible of book 12.
Loves these books so much! I’ve listened to them over and over again multiple times!
Currently checking EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. for the audible to drop!
Marnye got Covid and the production was delayed several weeks. They have a third of it done.
Katherine thank you for this fabulous series. I am anxious to add The Bloodstone Brooch to the rest of my Audible Collection. Any idea when it will be out? I have all of the Kindle Book Collection. I love them all. You are a fantastic writer I am so impressed by your talent.
Marnye got COVID. Patrick finished his parts. She is now halfway through production. It won’t be out until January.
Did I miss something? I have all the books and audio versions and I thought this would be available in the audible form in November but I can’t find it. Hope all is well and you had a wonderful holiday.
Marnye caught COVID and it impacted her voice. She finished her parts a few days ago and I’ve finished my edits. It should be uploaded to Audible in a few days. It will take Audible several days to run the file through its quality control before it can be released. It won’t be long now.
I am absolutely hooked to these books and can only hope and pray that someday someone will create a televised series and I can already imagine someone to portray Elliot 😁
Question – does the garnet count as one of the stones in Elliot’s possession? I just started Bloodstone and this brooch caught my attention. If I’m understanding correctly, this is the brooch Erik had in chapter one which was then requested by Elliot from the council in The Sunstone Brooch? So then Elliot would have the ruby, sapphire, emerald, amethyst, diamond, amber, pearl, topaz, sunstone, and bloodstone?
Have you finished The Bloodstone. I don’t want to ruin the ending for you.