Home to Mingulay by Cindy Regnier

Imagine for a moment what it would be like to live on a small but beautiful island near Scotland with your only access to anywhere supplied by boats, and then only if conditions were right. That describes the island of Mingulay, a place no one lives nowadays, but scientists go there to study birds, and other wildlife. So what happened to Mingulay and why did its inhabitants leave? Let’s find out.

  From the 15th through 19th centuries Mingulay was considered as part of the lands of Clan MacNeil of Barra. The population of Mingulay were hardy people, surviving by fishing, raising crops and livestock, and catching seabirds on the cliffs. Most of the people were subjects of the Clan MacNeil, but apparently the MacNeils were mostly absent from the island and the people survived in the only ways they knew how.

The evidence remaining of the living conditions on Mingulay suggests that the life of these island people was subject to many hardships. Prolonged periods of bad weather along with the inability to leave or reach the mainland for assistance increased the dangers of illness or medical emergencies. The population reached a peak of 150 in 1881 but fell away rapidly until the last resident left in 1912. 

 Unable to sustain themselves any longer and with no help from the Scottish lords, the final remaining inhabitants sailed for neighboring Vatersay in 1912, leaving behind their village homes. Many of those foundations still stand, reminding us of a way of life now lost to relentless Atlantic elements and absentee landlords.

One interesting story that remains is the story of McPhee’s Hill. As the story goes, When Mingulay was still part of the McNeils land, a rent collector was hired by the name of McPhee. Mr. McPhee was sent to the island to collect the rents from those inhabiting the land, but when he landed there, he discovered everyone in the house he went to was dead. Perhaps there had been an epidemic of some sort. Alarmed, McPhee called to the boat crew that had dropped him off to come back and get him. Fearful of the plague, the crew rowed off and left McPhee to his fate. Mr. McPhee was left on the island for a year while no ship dared to stop there. When he was finally rescued, the McNeils paid him by granting him land on the island. He was not interested, to say the least. That area of the island is still known as McPhee’s Hill. 

 

Mingulay is now owned by the National Trust of Scotland. In certain weather conditions the island can be accessed through boat tours or charters from neighboring islands. Ruins of houses and other buildings remain to attest to the fishing and farming community of previous centuries. The former school building has been renovated by the Trust as a base for the archaeological and biological studies that continue in this harsh environment, but for the most part very little of the Mingulay way of life under their Scottish lord remains.

 

 

Scribbling in notebooks has been a habit of Cindy Regnier since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Born and raised in Kansas, she writes stories of historical Kansas, especially the Flint Hills area where she spent much of her childhood.

The Women of the United States Postage Stamps--Part 1

By Jennifer Uhlarik

 

I can hardly believe that we’re already nearly done with the first two months of 2026. This year has flown by, so far. In just three more days, February will be ending, and then we’re into March. Many of you know that March is designated as Women’s History month, and I thought it would be a fun topic to look at the women whose faces have graced our American postage stamps—and what they did to earn such an honor. There have been nearly two-hundred women featured since the late 1800s, when the first woman appeared. So, let’s dig in!

 

The very first woman to ever have her face on an American postage stamp was not an American woman at all. In fact, she was a European ruler. Why on Earth would we put a European queen on our American postage, you ask? Well, perhaps it is because she put up the money to fund Christopher Columbus, who is commonly credited with having discovered America. So who is the woman with the prestigious honor of having been the first female to grace an American postage stamp? Queen Isabella I of Castile (now part of Spain). The stamp was issued in 1893 and was worth $4 during its run. If you can find one of these stamps today, it can cost upward of $3500 in mint condition.

Note Isabella I of Castile on the left,
Columbus on the right.

 Just nine years later, the second woman to grace a postage stamp in the United States was none other than our first First Lady—Martha Washington. Dear Martha has the honor of being featured on stamps three different times, first in 1902, again in 1923, and the last time in 1938. Not only was she the original First Lady of the United States, but she was also instrumental in leading the women camp followers and keeping up troop morale during the Revolution, among many other things.

Martha Washington's 1902 Stamp

Her second appearance came in 1923

Her final appearance was in 1938.

Third on our list of ladies who have graced the postage stamp is none other than Pocahontas, the Native American woman of the Powhatan people who was taken captive by European settlers. Hers is a difficult story which has been beautifully and painstakingly recounted by a dear friend, Shannon McNear, in her Daughters of the Lost Colony series (along with what might have happened to another one of our ladies in this post—Virginia Dare). This stamp, issued in 1907, was originally worth five cents. Today, a mint condition Pocahontas stamp would cost around $450.

Pocahontas's short life was full of hardships.

 

In 1928, “Molly Pitcher” was added to the list of women featured on American postage. Molly Pitcher is a made-up name, and the real identity of this woman isn’t certain, though it is thought that “Molly Pitcher” was a composite of three heroic women who fought in the American Revolution alongside their husbands. The three women are Margaret Corbin, Deborah Sampson, and Mary “Molly” Ludwig Hays. The last on this list, Molly, was said to have carried water in pitchers to dehydrated and desperate soldiers, as well as used the water to cool the cannons. During the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778, Molly Ludwig Hays’s husband was overcome by the conditions and couldn’t man the cannon any longer. So brave Molly stepped into his place, fulfilling his duties during this important battle. Afterward, George Washington is said to have personally thanked her and began calling her “Sergeant Molly.” You’ll notice, on her stamp, it is actually a picture of George Washington with the name “Molly Pitcher” stamped over it. Interesting, right?

Molly Pitcher's name, but not her likeness,
appeared on this stamp.

 

Our next famed lady was Susan B. Anthony, the famed social reformer of the 1800s. She worked with the abolition movement to outlaw slavery in the United States, then lent her voice to the temperance movement, and finally women’s suffrage. Her face has appeared on postage stamps twice—once in 1936 and again in 1955. And I’m sure you all are aware that her likeness was also used on a $1 coin, which was minted between 1979 and 1981, and again in 1999. 

Susan B. Anthony's first appearance on a
postage stamp came in 1936.

Her second appearance was in 1955.

She also made it to the $1 silver coin for a few years.

 

Next is Virginia Dare, who was memorialized on a stamp in 1937. If you haven’t heard of Virginia, she was the first English child born in an English colony here on American soil. Part of the ill-fated Roanoke settlement, Virginia was born on August 18, 1587, the granddaughter of John White. As governor of the colony, White returned to England to garner more money and support, and by the time he returned, the Roanoke colony had disappeared into the mists of time.

Virginia Dare--the first English baby born in the 
colony of Roanoke in 1587--was memorialized 
on a stamp in 1937.

 

In 1940, a female author was honored with her own postage stamp. It was none other than Louisa May Alcott, who was most famous for having written Little Women and Little Men. Like Susan B. Anthony, Louisa also lent her voice to the abolition and temperance movements, and during the Civil War, desired to serve as a soldier. However, because she was a woman, she was denied. Instead, she sewed uniforms until she turned thirty, which was the minimum age for women to become nurses. She soon applied as a nurse and worked in the Union Hotel Hospital in Washington, D.C. until contracting typhoid fever.

Louisa May Alcott did far more than write 
the beloved classic, Little Women.

 

The last woman for today’s post was Frances Willard, who was yet another social reformer. Frances was a teacher who, in her short fifty-eight years, spoke up for temperance and women’s suffrage. In addition, she was the first Dean of Women at Northwestern University, the longtime president of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and in 2000, was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame for her many prestigious contributions. Her stamp was created in 1940.

Social Reformer Frances Willard joined 
others in fighting for women's suffrage.

 

We’ll continue the parade of women who appeared on postage stamps for the next several months, so be watching for more. In the meantime:

 

It’s Your Turn: Which of the women who were honored with their own stamp do you find the most impressive, and why?

 

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered western novels at twelve when she swiped the only “horse” book from her brother’s bookshelf. Across the next decade, she devoured westerns and fell in love with the genre. While attaining a B.A. in writing from the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. She has finaled in and won numerous writing competitions and appeared on various best-seller lists. Besides writing, she’s been a business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, a historical researcher, a publisher, and a full-time homemaker. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband and fur children.

 

Available Now: Love and Order: A Three-Part Old West Romantic Mystery

 

Wanted: 

Family, Love, and Justice

One Old West Mystery Solved Throughout Three Short Romantic Stories

Separated as children when they were adopted out to different families from an orphan train, the Braddock siblings have each grown up and taken on various jobs within law enforcement and criminal justice.

 

Youngest child, Callie, has pushed past her insecurities to pursue a career as a Pinkerton agent. Middle child, Andi, has spent years studying law under her adoptive father’s tutelage. And the eldest and only son, Rion, is a rough-and-tumble bounty hunter. 

 

When the hunt for a serial killer with a long history of murders reunites the brother and sisters in Cambria Springs, Colorado, they find themselves not only in a fight for justice, but also a fight to keep their newly reunited family intact. How will they navigate these challenges when further complicated by unexpected romances?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Great Halifax Explosion: A Harbor Pilot’s Job

By Terrie Todd

Before researching my novel set during the Halifax Explosion, if you’d asked me what a “harbor pilot” does, I might have taken a stab at it. Like an air traffic controller for boats? Maybe from a helicopter?

Not quite.

Harbor piloting is a career that depends on where and how you were raised. Most pilots grew up on and around boats. They know their local harbor like they know their own mother’s face. They understand its tides, currents, and hazards. They know which ships are currently in the harbor, at which piers they’re docked, what they carry, and how fast they’re moving. They know the depth of the water and exactly what lies hidden beneath.

When a ship approaches the harbor, its captain requests one of these local pilots, who arrives alongside in a little pilot boat. He boards the ship by climbing the ladder tossed over the side for him. Once the pilot is safely aboard, the helmsman of the pilot boat tootles off to his next pick-up or drop-off. The pilot stands alongside the captain and guides the ship in, sometimes taking control if warranted. If the pilot does a good job, he’ll likely be called upon when it’s time to navigate out to sea again. With that complete, the pilot disembarks the same way he boarded.

Bedford Basin in Halifax's busy harbor during WWI

In 1917, a full complement of pilots in Halifax harbor was 25, with eight apprentices. With so many men away fighting the Great War, Halifax was down to 14 pilots at a time when the harbor was busier than ever. Ship captains were not legally required to engage harbor pilots. They were, however, required to pay the fee for one. No captain would be foolish enough to forfeit this paid-for assistance, especially his first time in a port.

Location of the 1917 Explosion

In the case of Harbor Pilot Francis Mackey aboard the fateful SS Mont Blanc, language proved another barrier. His limited French and Captain Aimé Le Médec’s limited English proved an unfortunate combination in an already tumultuous situation. Both were prone to human error, as was the crew of the SS Imo with which they collided, setting off a chain of events that would result in the world’s largest manmade explosion prior to the atomic bomb.

    Some of the explosion's aftermath.

 

The Reluctant Healer of Halifax is the final and sixth book in Barbour Publishing’s Enduring Hope series by various authors. In one-fifteenth of a second, the world’s prettiest harbor suffered the world’s largest man-made explosion prior to Hiroshima. A story of love, loss, faith, and honor set against Canada’s most devastating moment of the First World War. Watch for it in August 2026.

 

Terrie Todd is the award-winning author of ten historical novels, all set in Canada where she lives with her husband Jon. A former church drama team leader and newspaper columnist, she’s also a frequent contributor to Guideposts Books, mother of three, and grandmother of five.

 

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AMERICAN GIRL DOLL, BUT FRENCH

 

 

The 1905 Doll That Took France By Storm

 

By Mary Davis

 

Long before American Girl Dolls stepped out of history and into little girls’ hearts, or Barbie sashayed out of her Dreamhouse, there was Bleuette. Every little French girl’s dream doll.

 

Author's Friend's Doll & Photo

 

Toward the end of the French doll era, when France was shifting toward separation of church and state, publisher Henri Gautier created a weekly magazine for girls. La Semaine de Suzette (Suzette’s Week) would teach sewing, cooking, manners, etiquette, and other womanly skills for running a household. The first issue came out on February 2, 1905, and the magazine lasted until August 25, 1960, with a break during WWII.

 

To help young girls learn and develop these skills, as well as promote the magazine, Henri Gautier devised a mascot for the magazine, a doll called Bleuette. Girls who bought a year’s subscription before the release of the first issue received the doll for FREE. What a deal! Those who bought the first issue without a subscription before it was released could buy the doll for 2.50 French francs.

 

All 20,000 of the first batch of dolls commissioned were sold before the first issue was released. In fact, the publishing house had to scramble to get 40,000 more dolls made for the initial preorder of subscriptions.

 

Though Bleuette arrived in only a chemise made out of a thin fabric, similar to cheese cloth, clothing patterns for her were featured in the magazine to help teach girls to sew. Girls were encouraged to begin making clothes for their doll right away. They also learned mommy skills in taking care of their doll.

 

Clothing patterns were in a lot of the issues, over 1,060 patterns in Bleuette’s fifty-five-year reign from 1905-1960. When a new season came, Bleuette needed new dresses, a new coat, and accessories like hats, shoes, and purses. Always fashionably dressed, she had clothes for every season, occasion, sport, and event, including a Red Cross uniform, aviator outfit, motoring coat with goggle hat, as well as skating and skiing outfits. There were even patterns to make furniture out of cardboard.

 

Bleuette stood 27 cm (10 5/8”) tall with a fully jointed composition body and a porcelain head. Bleuette had at least four different heads throughout her lifetime. The first were known as "Premiere Bleuette". After WWII, her head was made of composition. Her body also went through several variations and grew from 27 cm to 29 cm (11 3/8”) in 1933. Still all the bodies had basically the same measurements so the patterns would work for all the dolls.

 

Author's Friend's Doll & Photo

 

In 1926, Bleuette’s baby sister, Benjamine, arrived but was discontinued soon after her début. Baby brother, Bambino, was introduced in 1928 with moderate success. And her big sister, Rosette, didn’t come along until 1955. Bleuette’s siblings never had the same popularity as Bleuette nor did they have her extensive wardrobe.

 

Years ago, I was in a porcelain doll group, and I made a couple of Bleuette dolls. I painted the faces and put the heads on composite bodies. I loved making her because of her rich history. I decided she needed her own stories like the American Girl Dolls, so I wrote a couple for her, Meet Bleuette, and Bleuette’s Birthday Surprise.

 

Author Photo

I would call Bleuette “France’s little sweetheart.”

 

Meet Bleuette & Bleuette's Birthday Surprise 

In Meet Bleuette, book 1, Bleuette's family is of moderate means, but her classmates think she's from a well-off family because she always has new dresses. When she's invited to a fancy birthday party, she can't wait to go. But will the birthday girl learn Bleuette is just the daughter of a seamstress and withdraw the invitation? 

In Bleuette's Birthday Surprise, book 2, Bleuette turns ten and thinks her family has forgotten her birthday. Will she even get cake or a present? Or will the day pass right by without anyone noticing?

 

 

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE LADY’S MISSION. Her other novels include THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle Book 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3) is a SELAH Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; THE WIDOW'S PLIGHT, THE DAUGHTER'S PREDICAMENT, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection, Prodigal Daughters Amish series, "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Rocky Mountains with her Carolina dog, Shelby. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at: Books2Read Newsletter Blog FB FB Readers Group Amazon GoodReads BookBub

 

Gothic Romance Elements in Books and Film

 By Sherri Boomershine

As I prepare to write my next book, I’m drawn to the old classics I read in high school as well as the books I read for fun. Many of the Gothic romances—Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Rebecca come to mind from school. Remember the book covers of Victoria Holt, Phyllis A. Whitney, and Mary Stewart? A castle dominates the background and a young woman—always pretty—runs away from it, her long gown flowing behind her.

Gothic romances began in the eighteenth century during the Romantic period with the novel, The Castle of Otranto, (1764) by Horace Walpole. The quintessential novel was Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. While some of the characteristic books and movies have supernatural overtones, not all do, especially the more modern gothic romances of the mid-twentieth century. However, certain characteristics ring true in all of them. My favorite novel, Rebecca, illustrates the genre as does its movie, directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

The setting is usually in an old castle or mansion. The goal of the dark and mysterious setting is to create a sense of unease and foreboding. The first words of Rebecca set the tone: “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive, and for a while I could not enter, for the way was barred to me.” Hitchcock’s opening scene shows the mansion enveloped in mist and clouds, foreshadowing the fire that left it barren. Within the dwelling are candle-lit halls, secret passageways, and imposing portraits of long-gone residents who frown down on the people who live there. There is a locked room into which the main character, a young, unnamed woman is denied entry. Of course, as the movie unfolds, she must find out what lies behind the locked door.

The antihero of gothic romances is a brooding man who brings the main character to live in the mansion. Some qualities of the antihero include a violent temper, a cynical outlook, a sinister secret or desire, and moodiness. On the flip side, the antihero is often capable of deep, strong affection, has a tortured soul crying out for compassion, and is viewed as solitary and suffering. https://www.toledolibrary.org/blog/a-glimpse-of-genre-the-gothic-romance/  In Rebecca, Lawrence Olivier plays Max de Winter, the man who marries the main character and brings her to live in Manderley after a brief courtship in Monte Carlo. Although he loves her, he is so overwhelmed by his past that he can’t help her adjust to the large staff and become the lady of the house, due to diabolical Mrs. Danvers, the woman who runs the household.

Gothic romances are usually associated with a mystery to be solved. In Rebecca, the young bride moves into the mansion to find physical reminders of Max’s late wife, Rebecca, at every turn. A large portrait of the woman dominates the main room. The letter R appears on every piece of stationery and every hand towel. Rebecca’s room is kept as a shrine to her by Mrs. Danvers. The young bride assumes her brooding husband misses Rebecca, but the question is—how did she die? Twist after twist leads her to the truth with surprising results.

Finally, hyperbole best describes every page and movie scene. The woman swoons and faints, the wind hisses through the windows, the lights flicker, the wolves bay. In the end, however, the main character discovers the truth, and the bad guys are exposed, and the couple live happily ever after, just not in the scary mansion.

Sherri Boomershine is a woman of faith who loves all things foreign whether it’s food, culture, or language. A former French teacher and flight attendant, her passion is traveling to the settings of her books, sampling the food, and visiting the sites. She visited a Netherlands concentration camp for A Song for Her Enemies, and Paris art museums for What Hides beyond the Walls. Sherri lives with her husband Mike, her high school sweetheart, whom she married fifty-five years later. As an author and editor, she hopes her books will entertain and challenge readers to live large and connect with their Savior. Join, chat, and share with her on social media. Newsletter Facebook Twitter Instagram Website

A Song for Her Enemies

Tamar Kaplan is a budding soprano with the Harlaam Opera company. Her future looks bright, despite the presence of the German soldiers guarding Haarlem. But when Nazi soldiers close down the opera company, families start disappearing in the middle of the night, and Jews are stripped of their freedoms, Tamar realizes her brother Seth was right about her naiveté. She joins the resistance, her blond hair and light features making it easy for her come and go under the watchful eyes of the German guards. Tamar becomes Dr. Daniel Feldman’s assistant, as they visit families hiding out in forests and hovels, tending to their health needs. But when she returns home to find her parents gone and the family store looted, she and Daniel must go into hiding. As they cling to the walls of an alley, Tamar recognizes a familiar face—that of Neelie Visser, the neighbor, who beckons to them to follow her. Can she trust this Gentile woman who talks about God as if he’s standing next to her? https://bit.ly/40Yucjv

Roman Citizenship, the Gold Standard

By Liisa Eyerly

Historical authors and readers must navigate a murky and treacherous landscape when writing. Murky because we don’t know all the facts and nuances of any period. So much has been lost to the melting ice cubes of time. Treacherous, because peering into the past confronts us with the impossible task of disconnecting from our present-day selves, modern ideas, and our evolved knowledge base.

Suspending moral judgment on the culture, rules, and practices of the Roman Empire, 2,000 years ago, can be especially challenging. Developing characters while distancing them from modern-age perspectives can be difficult. Depicting beliefs where slavery is neither right nor wrong, simply an accepted way of life; or exposing newborns to nature to die, as a common-sense solution for unwanted children; or their choice of mass capital punishment, ignites moral outrage. Is there a limit to how far we can suspend our beliefs, especially when it comes to our values, good and bad, right and wrong?

But to be fair to the times, we must try as much as possible.

Modern democracies work hard to include all citizens in their country's rights and responsibilities, with equality for all, a laudable goal. But Roman society was anything but equal. It was based on a ladder of legal identities, a tiered system of status, and privilege.

Almost every aspect of a person’s life was governed by their legal designation, and Roman Citizenship was at the top, the gold standard of privilege, power, and rights. And unsurprisingly, a major catalyst for power struggles, resentment, and rebellion in the Roman world.

A. Roman Citizens (Cives Romani)  

* Full rights and protections
* Included elites, veterans, colonists—and some provincials
* Women were citizens too, though without voting or office-holding rights

B. Latins (Latini) Originally from Italy, later expanded
* Partial rights- a “citizenship-adjacent” status
* Could trade and own property
* Sometimes eligible for citizenship after holding local office

C. Freedmen (Liberti)
* Former slaves who had been legally freed
* Became Roman citizens, but with limits:
     * Could not hold high office
     * Owed loyalty and service to former masters
* Their children, however, were full citizens

D. Provincials (Peregrini)  

* The majority of the empire
* Free people, but not citizens
* Governed by local laws, not Roman civil law
* Vulnerable to:
     * Torture
     * Summary punishment
     * Exploitative taxation
* Could gain citizenship through:
     * Military service
     * Imperial favor
     * Collective grants to cities

E. Slaves (Servi)
* Considered property, not persons
* Not determined by race or ethnicity
* No legal rights
* Could be punished, sold, abused, or killed (with some limits in later periods)
* Manumission (freeing a slave) was common—and strategic

Ironically, a freed slave could outrank a freeborn provincial in legal status. And it was one of Rome’s quiet engines for social change and mobility.  (Collared Roman slaves / Ashmolean Museum, Photo by Jun, Wikimedia Commons)

Why This Mattered for Christians

Christianity flattened social categories spiritually and sought to practice equality within the church, but Rome did not recognize or understand the religious rationale for Christian inclusiveness. Loyalty to Christ cut across Rome’s legal hierarchy; slaves shared the Lord’s supper with their masters, each serving the other on equal footing, and this terrified authorities. In the provinces like Ephesus, where my books take place, this legal gray zone was a powder keg and exactly the kind of fault line Rome cracked down on.

Christians included:    

* Slaves
* Women
* Foreigners
* A few citizens

Each of these legal designations included categories; even within the upper classes, women and children were typically at the bottom. Tune in next month for a look at the limits, challenges, and opportunities women of the Roman Empire faced.

Step into the shadowy streets of 96 AD Ephesus, where danger lurks around every corner, and the line between friend and foe is razor-thin. Fortunes of Death, plunges you into a world where faith is tested, alliances are shattered, and one woman's courage could be the difference between life and death.

Sabina, a fierce young Christian widow, is thrust into a deadly game when a wealthy citizen is murdered. With her friend’s life hanging in the balance, Sabina must unravel a web of lies, deceit, and hidden motives. Every clue she uncovers brings her closer to the truth—and closer to becoming the next victim.

This isn't just a murder mystery. It's a gripping tale of faith, resilience, and the power of one woman standing against the darkness.

Visit me at my website, on my Author Facebook page,

or purchase my books at:

Fortunes of Death

Obedient Unto Death

My Amazon book page

Liisa’s books have been called a cross between Agatha Christie and Francine Rivers. Her mystery novel, Obedient Unto Death, won the Eric Hoffer First Horizon Award for a debut novel and first place in the Spiritual Fiction category. The sequel, Fortunes of Death, continues the Secrets of Ephesus series, weaving fascinating Christian twists into the historical mystery genre of the first-century Roman Empire. Liisa’s travels to Turkey, Greece, and Italy have enriched her stories with vivid depictions of New Testament culture, history, and people.