Hello everyone!

I’m sure you’re wondering: Miranda, where have you been?

Well, my beloved homeland was invaded by bloodthirsty and fun-sucking professors. I had to battle them for the first two weeks. They stole my sanity and time. But then Janet, our brave heroine, rescued me from the bloodthirsty, fun-sucking professors. After our victory, Janet and I hung out and ate s’mores.

The realistic (and boring) version: I had college finals to study and prepare for. Then Janet B. Taylor came to my hometown of Rochester, NY for the Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival. It was so lovely, wonderful and amazing to meet her! (And no, I’m totally not kidding about the s’mores. We really did have some).

This week’s “Fascinating Teenagers in History”, we will be focusing on a young brave heroine who led a French army in a handful of victories over the English and relieved the city of Orléans. She was guided by the hands of God but was burned at the stake for witchcraft, heresy and cross-dressing. Any guesses?

Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc was a very interesting person in history. This is a depiction of Joan of Arc. Since Joan of Arc died when she was nineteen, her entire life is pretty much fair game to talk about. However, since I love random trivia, I’ll be sticking to random and interesting trivia about Joan of Arc.

Joan of Arc was born around 1412. She grew up in Domrémy, a village in northwestern France. Her father was a tenant farmer and her mother was a devoted Catholic. She was not taught how to read or write. Instead Joan was taught to love the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Her name was really confusing. No, really. “Joan of Arc” is the English version of “Jeanne d’Arc”. However the medieval spelling of “Jeanne” is “Jehanne”. So really, her name was Jehanne d’Arc. But she was known in her village as “Jehanette”. But some historians argue that her REAL name was Jehanne Tarc, Jehanne Romée or possibly Jehanne de Vouthon. But during her trial before an ecclesiastical court in 1431, she was like “Screw it. My name is JEHANNE LA PUCELLE” aka “Joan the Maid”. But for argument’s sake, I’ll be referring her as Joan of Arc (Although, there’s a strong possibility I’ll be referring her as Jehanne la Pucelle, just to mess with people’s heads. It was the name she referred herself as).

Doctors tried to explain the unexplainable (aka magic doesn’t exist). Joan of Arc began to have visions at age thirteen. She claimed that she saw Saints Michael, Catherine and Margaret and angels and that God told her to help put Charles VII back on the French throne. Modern day doctors have been looking at her testimony at the trial and have “diagnosed” her. They believe she had some sort of psychological or neurological disorder varying from epilepsy, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, migraines and brain lesions. The other theory is that Joan contracted bovine tuberculosis which can cause seizures and dementia.

Joan never faced active combat. Yes, she was granted a French army by Charles VII but she never participated in a battle. She was more like a motivational figure and a strategist. While she never took part in the bloodshed, she was injured twice. Joan was struck by an arrow during her famous Orléans siege and then she received a crossbow bolt in the thigh when she tried and failed to liberate Paris.

Joan did not tolerate immoral behavior. Like really, really didn’t tolerate it. She didn’t mind telling off spoiled knights for swearing, skipping Mass, cowardice, stealing and immoral behavior. Also she had mistresses and prostitutes walk out of her camp at knifepoint. Because of Joan’s intolerance for these sorts of things, she was known for her short-temper (But really, this is more of a reflection on the men in the camp than of her).

Joan’s downfall was just really unfortunate and unfair. So Joan’s miraculous victories on the battlefront (with her NOT fighting in them) spread like wildfire. When Charles VII reclaimed the throne, Joan urged the king to retake Pairs while the English defense was weak. However his advisers warned Charles VII that Joan was too powerful. And did the king listen to his advisers and not his most loyal subject? Of course he did. He sent Joan to Compiégne where she was thrown from her horse, left outside the village gates and was captured by the English.

Way to stab me in the back, Charles! The English were jubilant that they capture the famous Joan of Arc. Joan was faced to stand trial for her crimes which included witchcraft, heresy and dressing like a man. The English sent a message to Charles VII that said something like, “We got Joan of Arc who is a witch, a heretic and a cross-dresser. We’re willing to negotiate a release if you want your loyal subject back?” and Charles VII was like, “No way. I’m good”. After a year of imprisonment, Joan signed a confession that she lied about her heavenly visions. She was burned at the stake the morning of May 30, 1431. Joan was nineteen years old.

That is all today! Talk to you guys next week!

Miranda

6Fascinating Teenagers in History,

Happy Saturday!

In today’s “Fascinating Teenagers in History”, we will be travelling to Ancient Egypt (don’t be surprised if we’re there again!). This teenager was one thousand years older than Alexander the Great (who we learned about in our first edition) and more famous in death than in life. It wasn’t until the twentieth century that this teenager was discovered by the world. Any guesses?

King Tutankhamun!

Today, we know this teenager as King Tut (really King Tutankhamun, pronounced “toot-ahng-kah-muh”, is a mouthful). Since King Tut died so young, he didn’t really get a chance to leave a huge impression on the world like the future rulers of Egypt. However he managed to do one great thing in his short-lived reign. The picture on the left is his real skull and the picture on the right is a digital reconstruction of King Tut’s living face. Remember, King Tut’s life is based on a lot of guesswork by historians and scientists. Here we go!

• King Tut was born roughly around 1341 BCE. According to genetic testing, King Tut was the grandson of Amenhotep II and most certainly the son of Akhenaten. His mother was probably one of Akhenaten’s sisters or cousins. Incest was very common in Ancient cultures. They believed that incest purified the royal bloodline.
  
• King Tut was born with the name Tutankhaten which means “Living Image of Aten”.  Aten is the disk of the sun and one of three aspects of the Egyptian god, Ra. He later changed his name to Tutankhamun which means “Living Image of Amun” when he became pharaoh. Apparently it was quite common to change your name frequently back in those types when you gain power.
  
• Akhenaten, King Tut’s father, was one of the most controversial figures in the eighteenth dynasty of Egypt’s New Kingdom. He abandoned the Egyptian tradition of polytheism and ordered his subjects to worship Aten and only Aten. Somewhere in his mind he thought it would be a good idea to shut down old temples, Hulk-smash statues of Amun, one of the most powerful and popular gods of the Egyptian pantheon, and changing the religious center from Thebes to Amarna. Unfortunately, Akhenaten dropped dead from mysterious circumstances (no, seriously. Scientists are still speculating on the cause of death). I wouldn’t be surprised if Amun was like “You Hulk-smashed my statues and I END YOU!”
  
• King Tut ascended the throne when he was roughly nine or ten years old. There were two short-lived pharaohs before King Tut. The Egyptians were upset with Akhenaten and now they’re like “This little KID is running the country! Are you KIDDING me? Is the world ending?” Thank the gods above King Tut had mildly helpful advisors to guide the young pharaoh.
  
• Good News with the Royal Advisors: With their assistance, King Tut undid his father’s damage and restored Egypt to their traditions. He allowed polytheism, made sure that Amun was pleased and moved the party back Thebes.
  
• Neutral News with the Royal Advisors: Shortly after King Tut rose to power, they told him that he should marry his half-sister or cousin, Ankhesenpaaten who changed her name to “Ankhesenamun”. It’s unknown whether they had a happy marriage or not. It’s safe to say they got along well enough that there’s a picture of Ankhesenamun giving King Tut flowers as a sign of love inside King Tut’s tomb.
  
• King Tut died when he was roughly eighteen or nineteen years old. Scientists and historians are still debating on how he died. Maybe he died from an infection from a riding accident. Maybe he died from malaria. Maybe he died from genetic weakness from the common practice of incest. Maybe he died because he didn’t please the gods enough and they killed him out of spite. Only the ancient gods know. King Tut and Ankhesenamun had no surviving children (they had two stillborn daughters) so his predecessor was Ay, most likely his granduncle.
  
• Apparently the Egyptian priests were panicking about burying the teenage king. They thought they had quite so time and they hadn’t prepared tomb for King Tut. Many historians believed that the priests put King Tut in a tomb that was meant for someone else. (“Yo, sorry buddy. I’m clearly more important than you,” said a ghost King Tut)
  
• It wasn’t until 3,000 years later that a British nobleman, Lord Carnarvon, whose home was Highclere Castle (I’m looking at you, Downton Abbey fans!) and archeologist Howard Carter found the intact tomb of a mysterious pharaoh.
  

That is all for today! Talk to you guys next week!

Miranda

6Fascinating Teenagers in History,

Happy Saturday!

We are heading back to England for our next “Fascinating Teenagers in History” segment (Fair warning, I’m obsessed with England so don’t be surprised if you find another famous British teen in the future). This fascinating teen lived in the 1800’s and one you all are probably familiar with. She is known for Gothic horror novel about a brilliant scientist who created a monster.

Mary Shelley!

Mary Shelley was published author by the time she was nineteen. If she came back to life in her teenager self, I would want to be her best friend. She was creative, intelligent and headstrong. The greatest time in Mary’s life was in her teen years so that’s where I’ll focus my fun facts on!

• Mary was born on August 30, 1797 as Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin. Her parents, William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft were the coolest parents ever. Her father was a political philosopher and her mother was a philosopher and a feminist.
  
• After Mary’s mother died less than a month before Mary was born, her father felt that he could not financially support Mary and her half-sister, Fanny, so he remarried. Mary’s stepmother, Mary Jane Clairmont had two children, Charles and Claire, from her previous marriage. It was said that Mary never liked her stepmother because she was quick-tempered and quarrelsome. In conclusion, Mary Shelley and Cinderella understood each other.
  
• Mary’s education was rich yet informal. Her father made sure that his daughter was familiar with broad range of subjects. She enjoyed going into her father’s library and reading about Roman and Greek history.
  
• When Mary was seventeen years old, she met Percy Bysshe Shelley. He was a radical poet-philosopher and a huge admirer of William Godwin’s works. And he was married. Percy visited William daily as he promised that he could get William out of debt (I’m sure Percy had another ulterior motive *cough* to see Mary *cough*). Mary and Percy met in secret at St Pancras Churchyard and they fell in love (I’ve heard cemeteries are great places to flirt). On July 28, 1814, Mary and Percy secretly eloped and took Mary’s stepsister, Claire, with them. And Percy left his pregnant wife behind. Charming.
  
• After William Godwin, Mary’s father, found this out, he wanted nothing to do with his daughter. They were penniless since Percy was mildly careless with his money like Mary’s father. To cheer his new wife up, Percy took Mary and his sister-in-law to meet his cool writing buddies. One of his cool writing buddies was Lord Byron. *Swoon* Together they vacationed (read: being on the run from Percy’s creditors) to various places around Europe. (Fun fact: You know how Lord Byron was quite the ladies’ man? Well he accidently got Mary’s stepsister pregnant. Oops!).
  
• While Mary, Percy and Lord Byron were travelling together, they decided to host a good-humored competition to see who could create the best horror story. Mary was inspired to write Frankenstein or uncommonly known as The Modern Prometheus. It is safe to say that Mary was the champion.
  
• Percy encouraged Mary with her writing of Frankenstein. Mary finally published it in 1818 and it was anonymous. Many people were convinced that Percy had written it.
  
• Shortly after Mary published Frankenstein, she gave birth to her son Percy Florence Shelley in Italy, hence the middle name. He was the only child that lived beyond infancy.
  
• After Percy’s death in 1822, Mary never remarried. She continued to support her and her son by writing and getting help from her various family members. Mary died in February 1, 1851 at the age of 51. Mary wanted to be buried with her parents but after looking at the cemetery, Percy and his wife thought it was too dreadful and buried her in the cemetery near their new house. At the one year of Mary Shelley’s death, her son opened up her box-desk and found locks of her dead-children’s hair, a notebook she shared with her husband, Percy and a copy of Percy’s poem Adonaïs that was wrapped around a silk parcel containing some of Percy’s ashes.
  

That’s it for today! Talk to you guys next week!

Miranda

Happy Saturday!

Today’s Fascinating Teen in History features someone closer to home. She lived in the United States during the time of the American Civil War. Her teen years were the highlight of her life. She chose to spy from the uptight Union, quite poorly in fact, instead of being a nurse or sitting around a home. Any guesses?

Belle Boyd!

Guys, Belle Boyd was kind of bad at spying. She drew far too much attention to herself and got arrested twice for not using code in her intelligence report. Also Belle’s methods of spying were unconventional. She flirted mercilessly with Union soldiers to extract information from them. It would be like this: (in a lovely Southern accent) “Oh my! You look so handsome in your blue uniform. Do you have a sweetheart back home? I should hope not! Are you leaving so soon? I shall miss you dearly! Where will you be going next so I can write you a letter?” However her methods of spying are what makes Belle Boyd so fascinating! I will be sharing fun facts about Belle Boyd’s notorious moments as a Confederate sweetheart.

Part I: How Belle Boyd Got Away with Murder

On July 3, 1861, the Union infiltrated Martinsburg. They approached the Boyd’s house and broke in. They found the family cowering in the corner. The Union soldiers (who were all mildly drunk) were all like: “OUR HOUSE NOW! WE WAVE UNION FLAG ON THIS HOUSE!” Mrs. Boyd was no pushover and said “We would rather die than have that flag over MY house!” A Union soldier staggered over to assault Mrs. Boyd when Belle stepped forward with a pistol in her hand (Confederate women were encouraged to carry weapons) and shot the man. Everyone in the room was stunned especially the Union soldiers. Belle turned toward them and was like “COME AT ME BRO!” While you would think that Belle would be arrested, she wasn’t. It was declared that the dead Union soldier was a brute and she had done “perfectly right”.

Part II: Setting Up the Enemy

Belle Boyd was given a couple of packages and a note to take to the nearest Confederate camp. One package was highly important and she made her slave carry it under her skirts. The second package was “trifling in comparison” and Belle wrote a little note on that package that read “Kindness of Lieutenant Hasbrouck”. Lieutenant Hasbrouck was a Union soldier who Belle had ensnared in her clutches. She previously had persuaded him to escort her around (in wartime women had to have some sort of passport or an officer to escort them to different places). When Belle and Lieutenant Hasbrouck were on their way to Front Royal, they were stopped by Union dectectives. They got a tip that Belle was carrying intelligence and searched her. They came across the “trifling package” that had Lieutenant Hasbrouck’s name on it and opened it. They discovered Confederate newspapers. A Union solider was in possession of Confederate newspapers! TREASON! Belle was let go and Hasbrouck was arrested.

Originally posted by stamp-gray

Part III: Belle Dodge That Bullet

Remember that package and intelligence note from Part II? Well Belle got curious and read it. The intelligence reported that Union soldiers were planning on capturing General Stonewall Jackson. Suddenly there were shouts in the streets that the Confederates were approaching Front Royal. Belle quickly dressed in a dark blue dress (to make her noticeable) and ran out to meet her Confederate boys. The Union soldiers fired their guns at Belle but missed. Belle successfully got the intelligence report to Stonewall Jackson and he had a short victory over the North. He thanked her for her bravery and he credited her for his victory.

That is it for today! Talk to you guys, next week!

Miranda

janet-b-taylor:

Happy Friday!

Janet had a blast her event at the library last Saturday! She wants to thank everyone who participated and joined her.

For the next few weeks I will be sharing fun and interesting facts about remarkable people who took the world by storm when they were only teenagers. I can’t take credit for this brainchild. It was all Janet’s idea and I am just the loyal servant!

Originally posted by the-key-to-the-garden

Today I will be talking about a famous teenager who is actually close to my heart. I am completely fascinated by this person, the time period he lived in and the great deeds he did. Any guesses?

ALEXANDER THE GREAT

Alexander the Great was both a hero and a villain. He was a great military leader and conqueror but he was sometimes unnecessarily cruel. I have a strange fascination for Greek mythology and Ancient Greece so naturally I love Alexander the Great. Since I can probably write a ridiculously long post about Alexander’s life (eight page paper actually), I will try to stick to the most interesting facts about him.

• Alexander was born roughly around July 365 BCE. He was the son of King Philip II of Macedonia and Queen Olympias. However Alexander’s mother declared that his father was not Philip but Zeus, the great king of the gods.
  
• Alexander had hetrochromia iridium; meaning that Alexander had two different eye colors. One eye was blue and the other was brown.
  
• Rumor has it that Alexander had ailurophobia, fear of cats. I get it, man. Cats can be jerks.
  
• Aristotle was Alexander’s tutor up until Alexander became king. Guys, Aristotle was like an Ancient Dumbledore. So that means that Alexander was Aristotle’s Harry Potter, right?
  
• Alexander had mommy issues. Mommy dearest was a prickly thorn at his side. Olympias was said to be quite beautiful but very controlling and manipulative. When Alexander went off on his campaign, Olympias was nagging him over letters. “Come back home, my dear boy” and “Oh, these men who you put in charge of Macedonia are very mean. I want them dead!” No wonder he was gone for almost fifteen years.
  
• Alexander was a horse whisperer. It was said that when Alexander was quite young he saw a wild horse that Philip had received as a gift. Alexander declared that he could ride the wild horse. Of course everyone laughed at him but he was determined to ride it to show his father he was a worthy son. Alexander saddled the horse and rode out into the fields. Alexander had previously observed that the horse was afraid of shadows and rode it directly in the sun. He came back to the palace with his head held high and the horse tamed. Alexander declared this wild horse his and named it Bucephalus.
  
• Alexander became ruler of Macedonia when he was around nineteen years old. Philip was assassinated by a mysterious assailant. Instantly, Alexander became king. Some historians say that Olympias had something to do with Philip’s death. She wanted to make sure that her son, a demigod, would be king.
  
• After Alexander became King of Macedonia, he started his campaign of conquering the world. Over the next fifteen years, Alexander never lost a battle (although he had some strategic retreats). Athena must have been taken some special interest in him.
  
• Alexander was a drunk. Actually this was no surprise since most Macedonians liked their liquor a little bit too much. Athenians thought that Macedonians were not true Greeks because they drank more than what was socially accepted. According to some stories, Alexander held a drinking contest with his soldiers. At the end, 42 men died due to alcohol poisoning. Oops!
  
• Alexander founded 70 cities when he conquered the world. His empire expanded from the Mediterranean to the border of India. He named 20 cities after himself and one after his horse, Bucephalus.
  
• Alexander died when he was thirty-two years old. Some historians say that one of the blows to Alexander’s declining health was the death of his best friend and possible lover, Hephaestion. He died in Babylon but buried in Alexandria. Great Roman Emperors like Pompey, Julius Caesar and Augustus pilgrimaged to Alexandria to visit the late and great Alexander, King of the Ancient World. No doubt they were hoping to be graced with luck that the gods bestowed onto Alexander.
  

That’s it for today! Talk to you guys next week!

Miranda

FABULOUS job as usual, Miranda!! Woohoooo!!!!!

Happy Saturday!

Today, Fascinating Teenagers in History turns toward to a famous and beloved queen in England. She reigned for sixty-three years and seven months. During her reign as queen, England went through a lot of military, cultural, industrial, political and scientific changes and discoveries. Any guesses?

Queen Victoria!

This is painting of Queen Victoria when she was roughly around eighteen years old. I choose a younger picture of Queen Victoria instead of an older one because I will be focusing on facts of Queen Victoria’s youth.

• Queen Victoria was born on May 24, 1819 to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Victoire of Saxe-Coburg, Princess of Leiningen. Her full name was Alexandrina Victoria. Her mother called her “Drina” when she was a child.
  
• It was said that Queen Victoria was very lively as a child. She was strong-willed and outspoken.
  
• Sir John Conroy was Queen Victoria’s manipulative and controlling comptroller. Queen Victoria hated him because he constantly made her feel weak and useless. Once she was queen, Queen Victoria casted him away from her side. Unfortunately, her mother still kept him on. It was rumored that Sir John Conroy was Victoire’s lover.
  
• Despite coming from a royal line, Queen Victoria was quite poor in her childhood. Her father, Prince Edward, had owned a lot of debts which went unpaid when he unexpectedly died when Queen Victoria was an infant. She managed to pay off his debts when she became queen.
  
• When Queen Victoria was a child, she had a variety in her education. She was fluent in French, German, Italian and English. Queen Victoria was also a devoted drawer, painter and writer. She wrote in her journal every single day.
  
• It was rumored that Queen Victoria was barely five feet tall. When she was young, Queen Victoria was put on a strict diet because of her small size.
  
• Queen Victoria met her future husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha when she was sixteen, days before her seventeenth birthday party. They were quite fond of each other when they met. Queen Victoria described Prince Albert in her journal as “…extremely handsome; his hair is about the same colour as mine; his eyes are large and blue, and he has a beautiful nose and a very sweet mouth with fine teeth; but the charm of his countenance is his expression, which is most delightful.”
  
• Queen Victoria ascended the throne when she was eighteen years old. The reason why she was the heir apparent was because her three surviving uncles, who were ahead in her succession, sired no surviving and legitimate heirs. Her coronation was on June 28, 1838 and 400,000 people witnessed this historical event.
  
• Queen Victoria proposed to Prince Albert on October 15, 1839 five days after he arrived in Windsor. He couldn’t since she was queen. Of course he accepted because he loved her as she loved him. During their engagement, Prince Albert wrote a letter to Queen Victoria which showed his affection for his fiancée. “Even in my dreams I never imagined that I should find so much love on earth…How that moment shines for me still when I was close to you, with your hand in mine. Those days flew by so quickly, but our separation will fly equally so.” They were married February 10, 1840. Prince Albert became Queen Victoria’s most important political advisor and the most influential person of her life.
  
• Queen Victoria died January 22, 1901. She was eighty-one years old. Queen Victoria is buried the Royal Mausoleum next to Prince Albert who died 40 years prior. Queen Victoria mourned for her husband until her death, requesting for his clothes to be laid out. Queen Victoria was succeeded by her son, Prince Edward VII.
  

That will conclude Part II of our Fascinating Teens in History! Talk to you guys, next week!

Miranda

Happy Friday!

Janet had a blast her event at the library last Saturday! She wants to thank everyone who participated and joined her.

For the next few weeks I will be sharing fun and interesting facts about remarkable people who took the world by storm when they were only teenagers. I can’t take credit for this brainchild. It was all Janet’s idea and I am just the loyal servant!

Originally posted by the-key-to-the-garden

Today I will be talking about a famous teenager who is actually close to my heart. I am completely fascinated by this person, the time period he lived in and the great deeds he did. Any guesses?

ALEXANDER THE GREAT

Alexander the Great was both a hero and a villain. He was a great military leader and conqueror but he was sometimes unnecessarily cruel. I have a strange fascination for Greek mythology and Ancient Greece so naturally I love Alexander the Great. Since I can probably write a ridiculously long post about Alexander’s life (eight page paper actually), I will try to stick to the most interesting facts about him.

• Alexander was born roughly around July 365 BCE. He was the son of King Philip II of Macedonia and Queen Olympias. However Alexander’s mother declared that his father was not Philip but Zeus, the great king of the gods.
  
• Alexander had hetrochromia iridium; meaning that Alexander had two different eye colors. One eye was blue and the other was brown.
  
• Rumor has it that Alexander had ailurophobia, fear of cats. I get it, man. Cats can be jerks.
  
• Aristotle was Alexander’s tutor up until Alexander became king. Guys, Aristotle was like an Ancient Dumbledore. So that means that Alexander was Aristotle’s Harry Potter, right?
  
• Alexander had mommy issues. Mommy dearest was a prickly thorn at his side. Olympias was said to be quite beautiful but very controlling and manipulative. When Alexander went off on his campaign, Olympias was nagging him over letters. “Come back home, my dear boy” and “Oh, these men who you put in charge of Macedonia are very mean. I want them dead!” No wonder he was gone for almost fifteen years.
  
• Alexander was a horse whisperer. It was said that when Alexander was quite young he saw a wild horse that Philip had received as a gift. Alexander declared that he could ride the wild horse. Of course everyone laughed at him but he was determined to ride it to show his father he was a worthy son. Alexander saddled the horse and rode out into the fields. Alexander had previously observed that the horse was afraid of shadows and rode it directly in the sun. He came back to the palace with his head held high and the horse tamed. Alexander declared this wild horse his and named it Bucephalus.
  
• Alexander became ruler of Macedonia when he was around nineteen years old. Philip was assassinated by a mysterious assailant. Instantly, Alexander became king. Some historians say that Olympias had something to do with Philip’s death. She wanted to make sure that her son, a demigod, would be king.
  
• After Alexander became King of Macedonia, he started his campaign of conquering the world. Over the next fifteen years, Alexander never lost a battle (although he had some strategic retreats). Athena must have been taken some special interest in him.
  
• Alexander was a drunk. Actually this was no surprise since most Macedonians liked their liquor a little bit too much. Athenians thought that Macedonians were not true Greeks because they drank more than what was socially accepted. According to some stories, Alexander held a drinking contest with his soldiers. At the end, 42 men died due to alcohol poisoning. Oops!
  
• Alexander founded 70 cities when he conquered the world. His empire expanded from the Mediterranean to the border of India. He named 20 cities after himself and one after his horse, Bucephalus.
  
• Alexander died when he was thirty-two years old. Some historians say that one of the blows to Alexander’s declining health was the death of his best friend and possible lover, Hephaestion. He died in Babylon but buried in Alexandria. Great Roman Emperors like Pompey, Julius Caesar and Augustus pilgrimaged to Alexandria to visit the late and great Alexander, King of the Ancient World. No doubt they were hoping to be graced with luck that the gods bestowed onto Alexander.
  

That’s it for today! Talk to you guys next week!

Miranda

Hello everyone!

My sincerest apologizes for not posting about what has been happening in Janet’s world last week! I was preparing for college midterms and I honestly felt like Hermione did when she was studying for her OWLs.

Enough about me, let talk about Janet! She has been quite busy these past weekends. She recently went to NoVa Teen Book Festival which was a BLAST! She got to meet and see all of her author friends.

Got to hang out w/one of my VERY fave authors, the lovely, @JenWritesBooks ! @NoVaTEENBF #NTBF16 pic.twitter.com/MmftcAf3hu

— Janet B. Taylor (@Janet_B_Taylor)

March 5, 2016

Me, @kathys_quill @KellyZekas @eleanorherman entranced by the lovely @JenWritesBooks in @NoVaTEENBF #Histfic panel. pic.twitter.com/XlqWn8fy55

— Janet B. Taylor (@Janet_B_Taylor)

March 6, 2016

Had a BLAST meeting & doing QA session w/the RAD @LisaMaxwellYA !! #NTBF16 pic.twitter.com/yTjN3ZiKCg

— Janet B. Taylor (@Janet_B_Taylor)

March 6, 2016

To quote @MelissaGorzela (from whom I also stole this pic) Serious stuff, this authoring. @NoVaTEENBF pic.twitter.com/3zJR16savh

— Janet B. Taylor (@Janet_B_Taylor)

March 11, 2016

Last weekend, Janet held her own INTO THE DIM Launch Party! It was AMAZING! There was food and a bagpiper!

Not to mention that Phoebe and Hope decided to jump out of the book to celebrate! 

At the Barnes and Noble where the launch party was at, INTO THE DIM sold out! Yes, you saw that correctly. IT SOLD OUT! Incredible, right!? Janet is beyond thrilled that everyone was able to come and celebrate the arrival of her book baby.

Janet will be attending another event this weekend at the Little Rock Main Library. Check out the poster:

Janet hopes she will be able to meet some of you there!

Also Janet is giving away TWO copies of INTO THE DIM audiobooks on Audible. The lovely Amanda Ronconi is the narrator (You can check out a sneak peak of the INTO THE DIM audiobook here). All you have to do is share this Facebook post on Facebook. You can also share it on Twitter and Instagram for more entries. Be sure to tag Janet in the post!

That is all for today! I will talk to you guys soon!

Miranda

Hello everyone!

INTO THE DIM IS OUT! Did you buy your copy yet? Tweet a pic of INTO THE DIM in the wild or your very own copy to Janet on Twitter (@Janet_B_Taylor) for a chance to win a SIGNED copy of OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon. This Twitter contest ends March 9!

On the day of INTO THE DIM’s book birthday, #IntotheDim was treading on Twitter.

Ahem, @HMHKids :D :D :D #IntoTheDim pic.twitter.com/ysSSaX8B02

— Janet B. Taylor (@Janet_B_Taylor)

March 1, 2016

Sweet Sixteen authors, Shannon M. Parker and Ava Jae’s book were trending on Twitter too! Awesome, right?!

Also if you have already devoured INTO THE DIM and loved it to pieces, be sure to submit a review on retail website.

So I’m assuming that all of you proceeded to the bookstore in a calm manner (I did not) and you have the amazing book in your hands. Now you’re probably wondering, where can I get my book signed by Janet and meet her? Janet will be attending NoVa Teen Book Festival this weekend! This book festival will be held at the Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia on Saturday, March 5. Here is the rundown of Janet’s schedule at NoVa Teen:

10:15-11:00am: Game Panel: Smash the Buzzer

With Randy Ribay, Charlotte Huang and Melissa Gorzelanczyk

Where: Choir Room (#1404)

12:15-1:00pm: Q&A Breakout Session

With Lisa Maxwell

Where: Room #1401

1:15-2:00pm: Main Author Panel: “History Has Its Eye On You”

With Jennifer Donnelly, Kelly Zekas, Eleanor Herman and Kathy MacMillan

Where: Auditorium

2:15-3:00: Q&A Breakout Session

With Melissa Gorzelanzyk and Eleanor Herman

Where: Room #1014

4:00-5:30pm: Autographing Session

All Authors will be available to sign books at this time

For more information on NoVa Teen, check out their Tumblr page and website. Also the cool NoVa Teen Tumblr page provided you an INTO THE DIM playlist.

If you can’t make it to NoVa, Janet will be attending other events:

INTO THE DIM Launch Party

When: March 12

Where: Barnes and Noble (11500 Financial Ctr Pkwy, Little Rock, AR 72211)

Time: 2:00-4:00pm

Little Rock Public Library—Author Event

When: March 19

Where: Little Rock Public Library-Main Branch (100 Rock Street, Little Rock, AR 72201)

Time: 2:00-4:00pm

Janet is extremely excited to meet all of you on her different book events!

Talk to you guys next week!

Miranda

Hello everyone!

In case you weren’t aware INTO THE DIM will be out FOUR DAYS!

Originally posted by thegazettelover1313

Janet is slightly panicking but is incredibly excited for all of you to read it! When you go to your local bookstore to get your hands on this fabulous book, please make sure you don’t push or shove your way to the young adult section. Just in case you forgot what the amazing book cover looks like here it is:

To hold you over until then, take the INTO THE DIM quiz! What time period do you belong in? According to the quiz, I belong in Ancient Greece. I find that to be pretty accurate. I love learning about the Ancient Greeks including their culture and art. Hopefully I can time travel there in the future!

Leading up to the amazing release to INTO THE DIM, I have talked about Scotland, Medieval times and Nikola Tesla. In today’s post I will be talking an extremely important person that Hope and her time-traveling friends meet on their adventure, Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Sadly there are no authenticated portraits of Eleanor of Aquitaine with the exception of the stone carving on her tomb at Fontevraud Abbey. She is buried next to her second husband, King Henry I and son King Richard I. (The lovely Janet is next to the tombs).

Fun Facts about Eleanor of Aquitaine:

• Eleanor gave birth to two daughters, Marie and Alix during her marriage to Louis. No surprise but the royal family was disappointed in her for giving them daughters instead of sons.
  
• When Louis VII ascended to the throne, he decided to join the Crusades and Eleanor joined him. He was a poor and ineffectual leader. After the Crusades, Eleanor and Louis VII became estranged. In 1152, Eleanor’s marriage became annulled and she had to leave her daughters in the custody of her first husband.
  
• Two years after the annulment and fighting off suitors, Eleanor married Henry, Count of Anjou and Duke of Normandy. Shortly afterwards, Henry’s father died and Henry and Eleanor were crowned king and queen of England.
  
• Eleanor gave King Henry II eight children. Two of her sons would later become King of England, Richard I (aka Richard the Lionheart) and John.
  
• Eleanor’s marriage to Henry was also strained. Historians believe that it was due to Henry’s visible infidelities (For shame, Henry!). She later moved out of England and returned to Poitiers, her homeland. It was there she established the “Court of Love”.
  
• The existence of the Court of Love is also up for debate. The ideas encouraged by the Court of Love were troubadours, chivalry, and courtly love.
  
• In 1173, Henry the Younger, Eleanor’s oldest son, fled to Paris and was devising a plan to overthrow his father and seize the throne. Rumor has it Eleanor supported her son and even encouraged her younger sons, Richard and Geoffrey, to join their brother. Eleanor was later arrested and imprisoned for treason. She was locked up for sixteen years.
  
• Unlike Henry’s previous mistresses, he flaunted his favorite mistress, Rosamond. Scholars believed that he was hoping that will get Eleanor to file an annulment. He was disappointed when she didn’t. Instead Eleanor may or may not have a role in poisoning Henry’s favorite mistress, Rosamond. Oops.
  
• Unfortunately Henry the Younger overcame by disease. As a dying wish, he begged his father to forgive Eleanor and release her from imprisonment. King Henry relented and Eleanor returned to England. However Eleanor was under a house arrest of sorts and made occasionally public appearances when she was called for.
  
• After King Henry died in 1189, Richard I succeeded him. One of the first things King Richard did was give his mother full freedom. She ruled as regent in Richard’s place when he led the Third Crusade. Eleanor outlived all her children except for King John and Queen Eleanor of Castile. She spent the final years of her life as a nun at the Fontevraud Abbey where she later died.
  

That it all for next week! I hope you all will rush out to your local bookstore or library to read INTO THE DIM on Tuesday!

Miranda