The English Housewife-Ain't Misbehavin' by Sibelle Stone

Today I am delighted to welcome fellow author, Sibelle Stone to my blog.
Welcome, Sibelle.

Thanks, Anna. Great to be here.

In 1615,author Gervase Markham published a book, The English Housewife, Containing the inward and outward virtues which ought to be in a complete woman; as her skill in physic, cookery, banqueting- stuff, distillation perfumes, wool, hemp, flax, dairies, brewing, baking, and all other things belonging to a household.

Just reading the title is exhausting, and when you consider what the expectations were for a woman living in the seventeenth century, it might make you want to take a nap.

"Fabulous" colonial era gown

She was expected to “be a godly, constant, and religious woman,” and she should serve as an example to the household, learning and taking direction from men, most especially her husband and preacher. She should not preach herself, but act as a model, displaying the finest characteristics of piety and temperance.

Colonial home interior, Jamestown, Virginia

She should not express “violence of rage” passion and always maintain a pleasant, gentle mien -- especially toward her husband. And if he should make her angry, she is extolled to “virtuously suppress” any anger and present herself as a gentle, mild reminder of the higher virtues.

She needed to maintain her “proportion” by controlling her appetite somewhere between gluttony and the appearance of a consumptive. In other words, she shouldn’t be too fat, or too thin. Apparently, some things never change. If she can grow her own food, instead of purchasing food at the market, even better. Thrifty and skinny, what a woman!

Everyday garb

She should maintain her garments to be clean, comely and well-made. Probably by her or one of her servants. She must not be vain, nor decorate her clothing feathers or fancy adornments. She should avoid light colors too. Since most of the natural dyes made clothing "butternut brown" or gray, this probably wasn't much of a challenge.

An English housewife must be of chaste thought, stout courage, patient, untired, watchful, diligent, witty, pleasant, constant in friendship, full of good neighbourhood, wise in discourse, but not to frequent therein, sharp and quick of speech, but not bitter or talkative, secret in her affairs, comfortable in her counsels, and generally skillful in all worthy knowledge which do belong to her vocation.

It’s probably good there wasn’t on-line dating back then. I can’t imagine too many women responding to a profile that offered that as the description of the perfect mate. Strangely enough, there wasn’t any such description of the perfect husband.

While I consider Catlin Glyndwr, the heroine of my book, Whistle Down the Wind to possess many virtues, even she’s not the paragon the housewife book describes. After all, who wants to read about the perfect woman? Catlin possesses a kind heart, is willing to help others, is courageous, witty and sometimes wise. But, she makes mistakes, misjudges circumstances and is just beginning to learn to control magical powers. It’s even harder to be perfect when you’re a witch.

Blurb: "Whistle Down the Wind"

Arrested for using her magical powers to protect herself, Catlin Glyndwr faces the hangman’s noose. Descended from a long line of elemental witches, she can control the wind and weather. But the worst thing that can happen in 1664 England is to be charged with practicing of witchcraft. Especially when the accusation is true.


Sir Griffin Reynolds is visiting his closest childhood friend before embarking on a secret mission for King Charles II to the New World. When his friend becomes deathly ill while interrogating a beautiful woman accused of witchcraft, Griffin accepts her offer of help. In exchange for her freedom, she’ll heal his friend.


Griffin and Catlin embark on a journey to Virginia to save the colony. They succumb to the temptation of a white hot passion that blazes between them. But a Dark Druid stalks Catlin, and if he can’t possess her and her magic -- no man will. .
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Sibelle Stone is the pseudonym for award winning historical romance author Deborah Schneider. Sibelle writes sexy steampunk and paranormal stories, filled with magic, mad scientists, dirigibles, automatons, and creatures that would scare the panties off Deborah. In her spare time Sibelle enjoys dressing up in Victorian ensembles, modding play guns into something that looks a bit more sinister and wearing hats.


Thank you Sibelle. I've read and enjoyed your book, Whistle Down the Wind.
If you enjoy history, Sibelle and I are collaborators on another blog devoted to historical fiction, History Ink.

Saluting Charles Dickens

This week we are observing two momentous anniversaries. Two hundred years ago, Charles Dickens was born. Sixty years ago Elizabeth Windsor ascended to the throne of England.
These two events are significant for me. Let’s start with Charles Dickens. He was a prolific writer who popularized the idea of serializing stories. Unlike most authors who employed the same method of bringing their work to the mass market, Dickens often made the episodes up as he went along. I tend to write in the same way. I’m what’s known as a “pantster”—I write by the seat of my pants! True I have a general idea of where the story is going when I begin, but the events, twists and turns usually come to me as I write, or sometimes when I’m asleep!
As I get to know my characters their lives seem to evolve “before my very eyes”. Who knew, for example, that my heroine in Conquering Passion, Mabelle de Valtesse, would be kidnapped by a Welsh rebel chieftain, Rhodri ap Owain? Even less likely was that Rhodri would spawn a clan and a book series of his own! (Coming later in 2012)
Many writers would find my way of doing things difficult. They are “plotters” who have most of the story outlined before they begin. Both methods are of course legitimate and equally creative. I suspect a lot of authors fall somewhere in between.
So I salute Dickens. He wrote what he knew. His childhood was difficult and many of his experiences feature in his stories. It’s reported his last words were, “Be natural my children. For the writer that is natural has fulfilled all the rules of art.”
My favourite book is A Tale of Two Cities. I cried buckets the first time I read it! What’s yours?