Guest Post with Author Jennifer Jakes and Giveaway

Meet Jennifer Jakes, author of Rafe's Redemption.

A chronic insomniac, I got used to making up stories while I waited to fall asleep. It was a lot more interesting than counting sheep. Maybe too interesting, because I started staying awake so I could figure out “what happened” to my characters. For the sake of my health, I began writing the stories on paper – during the day. So far it’s working out pretty good:)

I’m a member of RWA and MORWA and ORA. I also have two great critique partners who I can’t thank enough. They taught me a LOT!

So grab a cup of coffee and step into the past with me.

Find Jennifer at:

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DOWN AND DIRTY: THE LIFE OF A LAUNDRESS

As a Civil War Re-enactor, I chose the Army Laundress as my portrayal. When I found this historical photo of a woman, her husband and three children, I focused on recreating her look and the look of her camp for mine. So I wanted to share some of the information I discovered while researching this Army occupation. Yep, you read that right. The Army Laundress was employed by the Union Army. (The Confederate Army quite possibly did the same, but my research was for the Union.) All info from: Civil War Times, Aug. 1999 - including historic photo - and Laundry Handbook by Virginia Mescher

While researching, I read lots of information about laundry both done in the home and on the war-front.

Army Laundress:

*Appointed by the captain of the company, the first thing he assigned the laundress was her letter of good character. She was the only woman granted official status in the army camp. All others – including officers’ wives – were considered Camp Followers.

*She was usually married to or related to one of the lower ranking soldiers. Her tent was set apart from the men – and if she was married to a soldier, he normally stayed with her on Suds Row.

*While most laundresses seemed respectable enough, there were a few who made “lots of money nature’s way. One of them had a bill today against a soldier for forty dollars.” – Quote from a private, 2nd Minnesota Infantry.

Such improper behavior was grounds for dismissal UNLESS the company captain chose to look the other way.

*One such “energetic” washer woman could make upwards of $40 per month. A true laundress who actually washed clothing, made about $7- $12. per month. Combined with her husband’s pay of about $13 per month, the couple could earn a good amount for that day.

*The washer woman received a tent, daily rations of food and services of the surgeon

Laundry was not a one day event for women of this time whether she was an Army laundress or a woman taking care of her own family. It could take up to three days to complete all the steps. Here they are in order:

Mending – Yes, dirty clothes

Sorting

Stain Removal

Soaking – Which would mean this and all of the above steps would be done on (example) Monday and left overnight to soak. (Day 1)

Washing (read Scrubbing) and/or Boiling – 1 wash, 1 boil, 1 rinse meant at least 50 gallons of water. That’s 400 lbs of water that had to be carried to the wash tubs.

Rinsing – 3 rinses were customary (think of wringing each piece – esp. those wool uniforms – by hand! Yes, some laundresses did have wringer (a clothes squeezer), but most outside of hospital workers did not.)

Bluing – This was used for whites. Bluing does not bleach the clothes, but once added to the final rinse, gave the illusion of “white”.

Bleaching – If the Bluing did not make the white items as white as desired, they could either be laid in the sun to sun-bleach or a chemical bleach could be used. A common chemical used was Ammonia. The most common source of ammonia was STALE URINE! (Bet those clothes smelled nice and freshly laundered. Not!)

Starching – Starch helped keep dirt from being ground into the material. Remember, these men or women did not change clothes daily. Sometimes, not even weekly.

Drying – Hopefully the laundress had a place to string a clothes line. Otherwise, clothes would be spread on the ground or on top of shrubs. (This ended Day 2 of washing.)

Sprinkling – After the clothes were dry, the starched items were sprinkled with water, rolled up and allowed to absorb the water so they were damp. This softened the starch and made clothes easier to iron.

Ironing – Flat or Sad irons (sad meant heavy) and it took 1 ½ hrs to heat a 6 pound iron.
Laundresses kept several “irons in the fire” as she couldn’t wait 1 ½ each time an iron cooled. (I suspect this is where the saying too many irons in the fire came from.) They didn’t really put the iron in the fire though as that would have meant streaking soot over clean clothes so they used upside down frying pans set on the fire grate. Some women had a Trivet, a cast iron “stand” of about 2 inches tall. Some of these were intricate and beautiful pieces of iron work.

Airing – This was an important step as the clothes were still damp after ironing and they were folded damp, they would crease and if the weather was warm, mildew.

Folding – Even women doing laundry at home folded as most “poor to middle class” didn’t have closets.

One woman’s diary stated of her 2 week’s worth of washing for her family was:

• 2-sheets
• 4-shirts
• 2-tablecloths
• 17-towels and other things too numerous to mention

Another woman stated she started washing at 11:45 am and finished hanging out the clothes about 6 pm. And she said, she didn’t have many things:

• 13-towels
• 1-tablecloth
• 4-sheets
• 6-aprons
• 5-shirts
• 3-skirts and some other little things.

OK, I could go on and on with interesting facts but for now……….Go kiss your washing machine and dryer!

He rode into town to buy supplies, not a woman.

For hunted recluse Rafe McBride, the dark-haired beauty on the auction block is exactly what he doesn’t need. A dependent woman will be another clue his vengeful stepbrother can use to find and kill him. But Rafe’s conscience won’t let him leave another innocent’s virginity to the riff-raff bidding. He buys her, promising to return her to St. Louis untouched. He only prays the impending blizzard holds off before she breaks his willpower.

She wanted freedom, not a lover.

Whisked to the auction block by her devious, gambling cousin, and then sold into the arms of a gorgeous stranger, outspoken artist Maggie Monroe isn’t about to go meekly. Especially when the rugged mountain man looks like sin and danger rolled into one. But a blizzard and temptation thrust them together, and Maggie yearns to explore her smoldering passion for Rafe.

But when the snow clears, will the danger and secrets that surround Rafe and Maggie tear them apart?

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Check out what's up for grabs.

Up For Grabs:

• 1 eBook copy of Rafe's Redemption
• 1 eBook copy of Eden's Sin

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• Please leave a comment or question for Jennifer.
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