All future blog posts can now be found here, on my website:
http://www.elynnhwriting.com/elynnh-1
Sunday, July 19, 2020
Sunday, June 7, 2020
But ... is it Real?
Authenticating art, and I include manuscripts in this, is
not a straightforward and simple process. You can’t just look at a painting and
say, “Yea, that’s a real Van Gogh. Go ahead, it’s perfectly safe to pay a few
million for it. Open your wallet, all is well.”
There is the analysis of brushstrokes, the chemical analysis
of the paints used, paintings are X-rayed and carefully examined under a variety
of microscopes and using advanced analytical equipment. And, in recent years, authentication
specialists have added another tool to their authentication repertoire. Though according
to this New
York Times article on carbon dating materials used after the atomic bomb
testing and the bombs dropped in Japan during WWII to determine if the artwork
was created before the additional nuclear material in the environment or after,
it might be a fleeting tool.
It’s rarely just one person who determines the authenticity
of a painting. There is also the provenance to consider. Just because the person
selling you the painting tells you they got it legally from, for example, an
enthusiastic yard sale purchaser who had it hanging in the dining room for forty
years, and took it to an antique roadshow type of event where the dealer
purchased it for a fair price, doesn’t mean it was theirs to sell. The most
obvious example of art that wasn’t a dealer’s to sell are the Nazi looted paintings.
This is why it’s equally important to dive deep into the
history of a piece and in essence track its life story. Where did it originate,
who had it next, etc. The more information about a piece’s history can be
verified through documentation, receipts, journal entries, etc., the more
valuable the piece becomes. Assuming of course that paper trail is authentic.
There are examples of well-crafted forgeries with stellar provenances, including
perfectly forged receipts. But it just takes one forgery in that chain to be
pegged as false to unravel the scheme.
But what about books and ancient manuscripts? How can you
tell if the piece is authentic and what makes it authentic? In the case of the
Archimedes Palimpsest – read about it in the book The
Archimedes Codex - the actual prayer book it was found in was authentic in
and of itself. However, the pages of the prayer book were created from reused parchment.
And the original text of most of the pages, not all, in the prayer book contained
notes and mathematical formulas that were from Archimedes teachings. The prayer
book had therefore been made from much older scholarly material.
It was a very common practice in ancient times to reuse parchment.
It wasn’t cheap to get brand new parchment and if you could afford it, did you
get the superior calf’s parchment or settle for lesser quality sheep parchment?
Most of the educational texts centuries ago were written on the
lesser quality sheep’s parchment and were commonly reused for new texts. There
are different parchments that have survived with recipes on it for how best to
remove old ink from parchment and how to prepare it to reuse it. From soaking
it in either a highly acidic solution or highly alkaline solution, to adding
the burnt or ground skin of a hare, which doesn’t seem like it would have an effect.
Turns out everyone had their own recipe, some going back to Egypt, around AD 300.
After soaking it was recommended you stretch the parchment on a frame and put
something heavy on it. This means there would be small holes around the edges
of the paper, which can give an authenticator or conservator a clue that the
parchment had been reused and the text on it was most likely not the original.
After all that soaking and stretching and flattening, the
user was advised to scrape the parchment to remove roughness and any surface ink
that might remain. To do that it was recommended one use either pumice stone or
chalk. Each of these leave unique microscopic traces in the form of scratches or
whitening of the parchment. An authenticator, as well as a conservator, can see
those and identify them under a microscope or can even take tiny samples to analyze
the composition of the material used in that last process of clearing the
parchment of old ink.
There are not many examples of whole manuscripts being
forged, though individual pages, especially illuminated ones (those with
beautiful painted designs and illustrations on them) do come up as forgeries
from time to time. More on that next time.
Sunday, May 24, 2020
Finding My Way Back to the Arts
Once upon a time I was ready to dive into the art world with
my freshly minted Arts Management degree, only to be knocked sideways and off
course by a series of events that led me down a few different winding paths.
Each of these paths, thankfully, included writing in some
form or another, which helped me hone my skills and craft, until finally, I
found the yellow brick road. Okay, maybe not quite that fabled path, but
certainly a way back to what I loved. Through a series of serendipitous
connections and posts spotted on LinkedIn, I found out about the Art Newspaper.
After reading the 3 permitted free articles online, I was hungry for more. I felt
revived, like a parched plant was finally given water.
But, let me go to the beginning, before I got that
proverbial water. It all started with a new book idea. While working on the
first draft, I realized I might need a little research to make sure I got the
details right. A ‘simple’ story about forged manuscripts, art auctions, theft
and an international chase, complete with a reluctant heroine, an art restorer,
ruthless collectors, and a full cast of colorful supporting characters.
By chapter two I realized I definitely needed more
information. This led me on many online searches, new connections and
fascinating phone calls with people in the field of manuscript conservation,
art authentication and art crime law. From Interpol and the FBI, to
conservators at major museums and libraries across the world, to lawyers
specialized in art crimes, to scientists using cutting edge technology to
detect and uncover possible forgeries.
It also had me scouring used book sites to find obscure
titles as well as more recent books on the subject. In addition, online
documentation and reports shared with me by new connections really opened up
the story and fueled more ideas.
It’s mind-boggling to learn the kind of fraud, forgery and
theft – and clever money laundering schemes - that goes on in the international
art world – I included manuscripts in that. For some time I was getting lost in
the many different directions I could go with the book I’d started writing.
Notebooks, random pieces of paper, napkins, envelopes;
everything I could scribble a quick idea on is used. I’m still very much in the
input phase of learning. But I have narrowed it down and am back on the path
I’d originally chosen for the story. The only difference is that now I have
loads more detail to populate the story with, and a notebook with ideas for
sequels.
As interesting as the wide world of art crime is, that’s not
what I want this blog series to be about, I want to keep the focus a little
narrower. With all this information I’ve been gathering, I will soon have
enough material for a non-fiction book. So, as I puzzle out the chapters for
this non-fiction book, I will chronicle my research and planning in blog posts
that offer a short dip into different element of book and manuscript forgery,
authentication, conservation, restoration, crime, etc.
Please feel free to provide feedback, or ask questions, as
that will only make the book better and give me an idea of what a lay-reader
without any or little art/manuscript background would like to know more about.
You can also learn more about my writing to date at: www.elynnhwriting.com
Saturday, August 31, 2019
3 Things I Love About Ghostwriting and 1 Thing Not So Much
Ghostwriting is the art of taking someone else’s story and
writing it up so that it reads like they are talking and engaging with the
reader. And though it may seem most often that a ghostwritten book is nonfiction,
as in a business book detailing a CEO’s inspirational way of taking a company
from zero to fortune 500, or a biography of someone who has had a fascinatingly
unique life, would it surprise you to learn there are also a fair number of
fiction books that have been written with the help of a ghostwriter?
Much of my current day job requires me to ghostwrite articles
for others, often on technical solutions to real-world problems industries face.
I always learn something new and get to indulge my inner geek as I do extra
research into the theories and the history of the technologies I write about.
Recently, it got me thinking about the nature of ghostwriting
and why I enjoy it.
11. I love hearing other people’s stories
I’ve written about this in the past.
For some reason people want to tell me their stories. Their experiences, their
secrets, their hopes and dreams they don’t normally tell others, they are
comfortable telling me. For me, it highlights that interconnectedness of us all
because I see so many similarities in the histories of individual people as
well as their dreams for the future, no matter where on my travels I find these
stories. Such as the time I took a train from Northern Italy to Strasbourg,
France, and I shared a compartment with an elderly Italian gentleman who was
traveling outside of Italy for the first time in his life to visit his banker son
in England. They were going to see a soccer match, he told me with great
enthusiasm. Though my Italian was very limited and his English was almost non-existent,
we spent hours talking. He showed me pictures of his family and using simple
words we were able to share stories.
22. I get to share those stories with others
By writing the stories I collect into
fiction or articles or a non-fiction book, I get to share what I’ve learned with
others. It may sound a tad simple and maybe sentimental even, but sharing
stories is in our DNA. And so many of these stories resonate with readers. Not
just the biographies of war survivors, or people who’ve overcome tremendous
odds to succeed, though those matter, don’t misunderstand, but I’m talking
about the smaller stories of every day heroics or struggles. The, at the same
time, unique yet ordinary lives. Or a simple technology solution for an
industry that ordinarily wouldn’t consider using that.
33. I get paid to write
That might seem trivial, but I assure you it
isn’t. Getting paid for doing something I love validates the work I do and
encourages me to do more. It encourages me to continue to hone my craft, but
also allows me to share my skills and help others grow as they pursue their
dreams of writing. Whether it’s guiding an intern to write blogs, or helping a
new writer figure out how best to structure his book on architecture, guiding a
coworker on the most impactful way to arrange information for a presentation,
or writing a speech for a CEO using his notes and ideas.
The one thing I’m less fond of in ghostwriting is that
sometimes you don’t get to tell the story that would appeal to readers; the one
you really want to tell. Like the time a wily octogenarian hired me to write “a
book, no a screenplay, no maybe it should be a book, oh let’s make it a screenplay
it’ll be a thrill for the kids and grandkids to see my name in lights.”
His story idea was decent enough, if a bit old Hollywood of the
Cary Grant – Rosalind Russell era, but he tried to stuff it with too many
subplots that he insisted should be in there because he was paying for me to
put them in there and he felt Hollywood had gotten away from good stories. It
was a losing battle. All the while, though, he was also telling me about his
life which would have made for a real page-turner … I tried very hard to
convince him to let me write that story, but he refused. He didn’t want his
kids to know all that about him. So, I filed it under “secrets”. Between you
and me, it would have saved his kids hours of therapy had they known, but sometimes
you just have to let it be. Chalk it up to learning.
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Autism Picture Book Author Interview
Hi Sue, Welcome to my blog, I’m happy meet you and introduce you to my readers. Your picture book
looks to fill an interesting niche and I am curious to learn more about what
inspired it. Let’s get started.
Title, genre, format (ebook, paperback):
Just Elliot
Children’s illustrated story book
Hardcover, ebook, ibook
Tell me about your book/story:
Jump into the head of six-year-old Elliot, a boy with autism, and
see what it’s like to navigate life on the spectrum.
This beautifully illustrated, lively story will give insight to
neuro-typical children and the people who love them, into the challenges their
friends may be facing. We hope this book will encourage understanding and
acceptance of children who may act a little differently.
The book includes resource materials and discussion questions.
What is the one thing you’d like people to know about the book or the story:
Just Elliot is based upon the experiences of a real boy with
autism, with a special foreword by Temple Grandin.
What has the reaction been to the book, is it making a difference
in the conversation about autism:
To date, we have addressed about 1800 school children, grades
K-5, with a discussion of autism, bullying and acceptance. We read the book and
entertain questions and are continually amazed by the awareness of autism by
young children. There has been a very enthusiastic response by students,
teachers, librarians and parents who have attended the presentations.
Last April we were interviewed on Colorado Public Radio about the
book during Autism Acceptance Month (previously known as Autism Awareness
Month) and received rave reviews!
Where can people find your book:
Amazon
Book stores
From the publisher: bearpawprint@gmail.com
Any links and/or pictures you want to share:
Ibook: http://itunes.apple.
com/us/book/id1356991834
Monday, December 24, 2018
Holiday Book Boost Number 30
Hi Nicola, Welcome to my blog, I’m happy meet you and introduce you to my readers. Let’s get started.
Title, genre, format
(ebook, paperback):
Out in the Dark.
It’s a YA thriller. Available in both paperback and ebook.
Tell me about your
book/story:
Jake’s father is one of a group of
psychic warriors from a CIA/Stanford University project designed to train
people in “remote viewing,” but he's been taken by a rogue unit with more
sinister plans for his skills. Now, seventeen-year-old Jake must set out on a
journey to rescue his father. Jake doesn't know where his father is, and his
only clues are the flashes of images he gets in his mind. Taking his father's
vintage 1966 Pontiac GTO, Jake sets out across the Cascades from Washington, to
Nevada. Along the way he picks up Shelley, a girl scarred by poverty and who
has had to do some pretty unpleasant things to get together enough money to go
to college. He was only going to give her a lift to Nevada, but soon they're
both running for their lives.
What is the one thing
you’d like people to know about you (or, what is your secret superpower):
I can find and create order out of chaos.
And just a few fun
questions:
Pen or Computer:
Both. I find when I’m stuck on a piece of writing, switching
to writing with a pen on paper can help.
Best writing snacks:
Surf Sweets Gummy Bears – I tell myself the Vit. C in them
makes them totally healthy.
Also, green tea or good strong, black coffee.
Craziest thing you’ve
done for story research:
Learned Remote Viewing and more recently, to understand the nature
of energy from a different side, learned Reiki healing.
Where can people find
your book/story:
All the usual places.
Including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks but also directly
from the publisher, Untreed Reads (where it's on sale right now!)
If enough of you ask maybe my editor will agree to a sequel!
Any links you want to
share:
Twitter: @Nicky_Adams_Pen
Thank you!
Sunday, December 23, 2018
Holiday Book Boost Number 29
Hi Andrew, Welcome to my blog, I’m happy meet you and
introduce you to my readers. Let’s get started.
Title, genre, format
(ebook, paperback):
Epic Space Adventure: Europa Excursion
Kid’s picture book, hardcover
Tell me about your
book/story:
Europa Excursion is
the third book in the Epic Space Adventure series, picking
with our team of animal explorers after Mars Rover Rescue. The series
presents science in a way that's easy to understand, combined with an exciting
story line. In Europa Excursion, the team receives a distress call from
Europa! Captain Chips and his crew are trapped under the ice of Jupiter’s moon.
Our animal explorer team need to grab their gear, head for Europa, and find a
way to melt its ice to descend into its subsurface ocean. Searching the depths,
who knows what amazing things they'll discover?
What is the one thing
you’d like people to know about you (or, what is your secret superpower):
I love trivia, especially geography, history, and science.
And just a few fun
questions:
Pen or Computer:
Computer, although I sometimes jot ideas on paper.
Best writing snacks:
Popcorn and fizzy water. Sometimes dark chocolate.
Craziest thing you’ve
done for story research:
Brainstorm rhyming ideas.
Where can people find
your book/story:
You can order autographed copies on www.andrew-rader.com
Thank you!
Saturday, December 22, 2018
Holiday Book Boost Number 28
Hi Indy, Welcome to my blog, I’m happy to meet you and
introduce you to my readers. Let’s get started.
Title, genre, format
(ebook, paperback):
TRACKER: A Fox Walker
Novel is Book 1 in the Fox Walker Novels collection. It’s considered a suspense/mystery/thriller
and contains a light romantic element as well.
It can be purchased as a paperback print book or as a Kindle book.
It can be purchased as a paperback print book or as a Kindle book.
Tell me about your
book/story:
Here’s the short version:
Loner and
expert tracker Fox Walker's discovery in the Colorado wilderness will force him
to employ all of his unique skills and wisdom if he is to save the Woman of the
Wilderness.
Want more? This is from
the book cover:
Apprenticed since early
childhood in the ancient Native American skills of survival, tracker Fox
Walker is a loner by choice until the day he discovers a young woman living as
a primitive deep in the Colorado wilderness. A woman with no memory of her past
and a torso riddled with scars. A woman with no desire for rescue and no reason
to trust him.
The killer responsible
for her emotional and physical damage has returned to finish what he started.
Walker soon finds himself in the midst of an FBI manhunt. He'll be called upon
to use all his unique skills and wisdom if he is to save the Woman of the
Wilderness.
Awards Received:
Finalist in the National
Indie Excellence Awards 2017
Finalist in the San Diego Book Awards 2017
Best Fiction Award at Southern California Writers Conference.
Finalist in the San Diego Book Awards 2017
Best Fiction Award at Southern California Writers Conference.
What is the one thing
you’d like people to know about you (or, what is your secret superpower):
Being
outside in nature is the most basic part of who I am. Besides gaining knowledge
about wildlife, I learn lessons about who I am, and surprise myself about what
I am capable of achieving. Nature continually inspires me. It is a part of all
my writings, no matter the genre or subject matter.
And just a few fun
questions:
Pen or Computer:
I used to handwrite all my chapters first before
transferring them to the computer. But now I find I prefer to work directly via
the computer. Although, when beginning a new book, I write out my ideas for the
characters and plot by hand, and create my timeline. And if I find myself
struggling with a scene I will often turn to paper and pencil to work it out.
Best writing snacks:
Popcorn, nuts, chips or crackers are my go-to staples. But
some dark chocolate and a glass of wine makes a decidedly decadent deviation.
Yeah, and I also love alliteration.
Craziest thing you’ve
done for story research:
Wow – that could be an entire page considering I write about
wilderness survival and have researched such things as how to clean and cook a
rattlesnake. But seriously, the one incident that stands out to me is the time
I had to call the Colorado Court System and ask questions about how prisoners
are transferred from the court to the prison. The person helping me was happy
to answer questions about the vehicle and what the prisoners would be wearing
and such…but they got very, very quiet when I started asking questions about if
the guards would be armed and if so, what kind of weapon. I was told they
needed to transfer me to a supervisor. Fortunately I was able to get my
questions answered though!
Where can people find
your book/story:
Currently TRACKER: A Fox Walker Novel is only available on
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M17M4C6
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M17M4C6
Or you can contact me for a signed print copy, if you prefer.
I hope to expand to more venues soon.
Any links and/or
pictures you want to share:
If you’d love to receive info about upcoming new releases or
sales for my novels you can subscribe to my once-a-month (at most) Newsletter.
You can find the form on the Home page of my website. Or simply visit to read
more about my various writing projects and blogs: http://indyquillen.com/
You can Friend me as Indy Quillen on Facebook or Follow me
@indyquillen on Twitter.
Thank you!
Friday, December 21, 2018
Holiday Book Boost Number 27
Hi Debra, Welcome to my blog, I’m happy meet you and
introduce you to my readers. Let’s get started.
Title, genre, format
(ebook, paperback):
Millionaire Marketing on a Shoestring Budget™ -
available as a paperback book as well as an eBook.
Tell me about your
book/story:
Millionaire Marketing on a Shoestring Budget™
came about shortly after 9-11. Many people were scared and started cutting back
on their budgets, and specifically, their marketing budgets.
So in guiding my clients, I compiled a list of affordable
ways they could maintain top-of-mind awareness. It’s a list of strategies that
I implemented during my three decades in business—and I’m still here today. I
continue to use these business-building tools on an ongoing basis today and am
happy to help others discover how to enjoy longevity in their businesses as
well.
What is the one thing
you’d like people to know about you (or, what is your secret superpower):
For six years, I went to college to obtain my Bachelor’s and
Master’s degrees in communication disorders. After working in the field, I
realized that speech pathology did not fuel my passion. I’ve changed careers
several times, but when I opened my doors as a freelance direct response
copywriter, I did so from scratch, without a degree in marketing. What I did
have was enthusiasm and a desire to succeed.
And just a few fun
questions:
Pen or Computer:
When writing in a journal, I use a pen. When I worked on my
book, I did that on my PC.
Best writing snacks:
Chocolate, though I’m not sure I’d say that’s the best. On a
healthier note, I like sugar snap peas when they’re in season.
Craziest thing you’ve
done for story research:
Sorry, nothing comes to mind.
Where can people find
your book/story:
If you want an autographed copy, with a gold shoestring,
visit https://MillionaireMarketingonaShoestringBudget.com
The book is also available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, but does not come autographed or with a gold shoestring.
The book is also available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, but does not come autographed or with a gold shoestring.
Thank you!
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Holiday Book Boost Number 26
Hi B.Duane, Welcome to my blog, I’m
happy meet you and introduce you to my readers. Let’s get started.
Title, genre, format (ebook, paperback):
The Dark Razor, Tales
From Inter-Space Freight Services, Ltd: Sweetness, Tales from
Inter-Space Freight Services, Ltd: The Staff. Science Fiction all in
eBook format.
Tell me about your book/story:
All characters in the stories are,
used to be, or will become associated with a small logistics company called Inter-Space
Freight Services, Ltd. The company arranges freight runs and handles
paperwork, tariffs, and customs for independent owner-operators of small and
medium sized space freighters. Rather than a Princess, Wizard, or
Champion Knight, the stories are about people who have to work for a
living. Each individual has their own
past, personality, character flaws, and goals. Mundane lives wouldn’t be
that interesting for most readers, and indeed all of the characters have
experienced adventures. Even more, they
have had some influence on each other, usually without knowing it. The
series is less hard science and explanation, and more about the human (or in
some cases non-terrestrial sentients) struggles, victories, trials, and
rewards.
What is the one thing you’d like people to know about you (or,
what is your secret superpower):
I’m a lifelong presenter, with little fear of
public speaking and an ability to relate to nearly everyone. That’s not
so super, so just for fun I have two different super powers, neither of which I
can control to much extent. One is
ACID. That would probably be my X-Man
name if I were in the comics! My skin
destroys many metals, but it takes long exposure. I’ve ruined many
watches, and had to replace my gold wedding ring as my skin seems to eat it
away. I play trumpet. Where I hold the horn the nickel and brass
finishes have been worn away by nothing but contact with my skin. The second I’m less prone to share because it
can be unsettling, yet has happened many times in my life. I have a
certain sense of prescience (think Frank Herbert’s Dune series). I
cannot control it, and it doesn’t always happen, but I have sensed many things
from many people. It’s highly personal, and has included an impending
death of a strong and healthy man, criminal behavior in a church Pastor, and
more. It is difficult to describe other than as a strong unanticipated
thought sensed when first meeting someone.
I share the thoughts with almost nobody because they seem so unlikely.
The problem is, they nearly always comes true.
And just a few fun questions:
Pen or Computer: Computer! Unless I’m using my
iPad or Mac. Cloud storage is wonderful!
Best writing snacks: Nothing! Eating distracts me and when I’m fully
engaged in writing eating is one of the furthest things from my mind.
Craziest thing you’ve done for story research:
It’s not so bizarre, but I love learning things and expanding knowledge.
I might stop writing to look up a word and its Latin or Greek root, but
then get lost in the research online for hours.
Thank you!
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Holiday Book Boost Number 25
Hi Thomas, Welcome to my blog, I’m happy meet you and
introduce you to my readers. Let’s get started.
Title, genre, format
(ebook, paperback): hard cover then soft cover/kindle
“GUARDIAN
– Life in the Crosshairs of the CIA’s War on Terror”- Biographies and Memoir,
Non-fiction, History, Politics and Government, Intelligence and Espionage,
Terrorism
Tell me about your
book/story:
A CIA security officer recounts a twenty-four-year career protecting
America’s intelligence personnel and senior USG Officials against a backdrop of
the War on Terror. The prequal to the
famous 2012 battle in Benghazi when the CIA Annex Security Team saved the lives
of the US State Department employees, an incident that was the subject of the
book and the movie, “13 Hours”!
Former CIA Security
Officer Tom Pecora’s bracing narrative memoir covers the generation he spent in
the field protecting America’s top spies and diplomats in war zones across the
world, a travelogue stitched in blood and bullets across a fabric defined by
the rising threat of Islamic terrorism.
Over the course of a career that saw him
receive the Career Intelligence Medal, Intelligence Star, Meritorious Unit
Citation, and numerous Exceptional Performance Awards, Pecora distinguished
himself as a Protective Operations Cadre (POC) member and as a CIA Security
Officer. And now he’s prepared to shed light on the world of clandestine
protective operations and the selfless, heroic warriors dedicated to keeping
the United States safe at all costs…
What is the one thing
you’d like people to know about you (or, what is your secret superpower):
Spent 23 of 24 years not telling
anyone but my family where I worked.
And just a few fun
questions:
Pen or Computer:
computer (but only because no one
else can read my handwriting)!
Best writing snacks: gummi bears
Craziest thing you’ve
done for story research: bought almost every book written by a former
CIA officer in the past 15 years and then spent hours and hours reading
and documenting quotes from these authors as from open sources in an effort to
get the CIA’s Publication Review Board to let me tell my story!
Where can people find
your book/story: Currently on Amazon in pre-publication sale. Publishes May 7th, 2019.
Any links and/or
pictures you want to share: I have put an attachment on the email with the
book cover and several photos.
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Guardian-561121847691876/
LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-pecora-053b503a/
Thank you!
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