Do You Know the Origination of April Fool's Day?

If you answered 'no' don't feel bad because there isn't anyone who knows the answer to this question.  I'm going to try to give you a bit of information I found on the subject.  There were references to April Fool's Day in the 1500's, but they were vague and ambiguous.  It wasn't until 1708 a correspondent wrote to the British Apollo magazine asking, "Whence proceeds the custom of making April Fools? 

The most popular theory involves the French calendar reform of the 16th century.  It is said in 1564 France reformed its calendar, moving the start of the year from the end of March to January 1.  Those who felled to keep up with the change, who stubbornly clung to the old calendar system and continued to celebrate the New Year during the week that fell between March 25th and April 1st, had jokes played on them.  Pranksters would surreptitiously stick paper fish to their backs.  The victims of this prank were thus called Poisson d'Avril, or April Fish --which, to this day remains the French term for April Fools -- and so the tradition was born.  This does not seem like a plausible theory though.

The British calendar change seems to be the more plausible theory.  It was the British who observed New Year's Day on March 25 (the date of the Christian Feast of Annunciation), followed by a week of festivities culminating on April 1.  Britain changed the start of its calendar year January 1 in 1752. 

The possible first reference to April Fool's Day may be in the Nun's Priest's Tale by Chaucer written around 1392.  This reference is not clear and is a matter of interpretation.  There are many other references to April Fool's Day by other poets such as Eloy d'Amerval (1508) and Eduard de Dene (1561).

There are many interesting tales about April Fool's Day, but not enough time to tell all of them.   

You can find more debate on this subject at http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/af_database/permalink/orgin_of_april_fools_day

In 1983, Joseph Boskin told an Associated Press reporter that the idea came from Roman jesters during the time of Constantine I in the third and fourth centuries A.D.  Supposedly, jesters successfully petitioned the ruler to allow one of their elected members to be king for a day.  So, on April 1st, Constantine handed over the reins of the Roman Empire for one day to King Kugel, his jester.  Kugel decreed that the day forever would be a day of absurdity. 

More information can be found at this link:  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/03/080328-april-fools/

Believe it, or not, I wrote a story for April Fool's Day titled, A Fool's Fool.  It's about a company who makes gags or tricks to play on people.  It's a fun-filled sweet contemporary romance for just about any age. 

Tag:  All's Fair in Love and War

When practical jokes in the office go a little too far, all kinds of accidents can happen.

 Even Falling in Love.

Buy links:  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=node%3D154606011&field-keywords=A+fool%27s+fool#/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=node%3D154606011&field-keywords=A+fool's+fool+by+Sandra+K.+marshall&rh=n%3A154606011%2Ck%3AA+fool's+fool+by+Sandra+K.+marshall and in audio:  http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B00945MFMI&qid=1347906078&sr=1-1

 

Have fun on April Fool's Day!  I plan to play a prank on my hubby that day before he plays one on me.  lol

You Are a Writer, but Why Do You Write?

So many authors say they couldn't live without writing.  There are others who have so many stories in their head that they have to tell them.  There are multiple other reasons why people write, but those aren't my motivations for telling a story. I write because there are issues I'm concerned about, and I put those problems into fiction format.  It is a way to be heard without browbeating people with the subject matter.

My Odyssey Mysteries series has social issues in each book.  In my first book, The Catalyst, I address the problem of rape, abuse and alcohol.  This story explains why so many rape victims do not make reports against their rapists.  It's, also, about family and secrets.

In my second novel, Addiction, the issue is alcohol addiction with a serial killer thrown into the mix.  It's the villian's story as much as the hero and heroine's. This book gives you an idea of how alcohol can affect family members. It, also, helps you to understand the struggle the alcoholic fights every day. 

The third book, The Deceived, is about gambling addictions and the extremes some groups will go to in order to stop gaming.  It shows that some factions may be as bad as what they are fighting against.  Even good people can come under the influence of cult-like groups.

Even my novella, A Fool's Fool, is about those who have the power to harass and intimidate employees in the work place.

Why do you write?

Sandra K. Marshall, author at Eirelander Publishing

http://www.eirelander-publishing.com
http://www.sandramarshallblog.blogspot.com

What Do Author's Blog About?

Everyone expects authors to promote their books when they blog, but what if they don't have a book coming out, and the ones out are two to three years old?  Do they keep blogging and promoting, or do they stop until the next book comes out?

Here's my story, I wrote three books, The Catalyst, Addiction and The Deceived.  They are still up at my publisher, Eirelander Publishing if you care to check them out.  I call them, The Odyssey Mysteries trilogy, and they are set in the Midwest riverboat casino industry, which has now become mostly grounded. The books have been taken down from Amazon and other places because my publisher is redoing the covers. 

I also wrote a short story titled, A Fool's Fool, a humorous contemporary romance about harassment in the work place.  It can be found at Eirelander Publishing too, and in audio at Audio.com.  The link is below.

http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B00945MFMI&qid=1347906078&sr=1-1  

Okay, here's my take on this topic.  At my blog, http://www.sandramarshallblog.blogspot.com, I promote only if I have news or have a contest.  The rest of the time I blog about anything that interests me.  Sometimes, I even write about writing topics, but most of the time I don't.

You're probably saying to yourself, 'she's a writer,' and I say, 'I am.'  Now, my question to you is: Do your blog followers want to hear about how to write?  My answer is: NO!  There is one exception and that is if they are aspiring authors.  I remember reading everything to help me learn how to write a story. 

Okay, I have strayed from the topic.  What I'm getting at is that most of my followers are readers not writers, and they aren't interested in reading about how you write a story.  For me, I'm fascinated by all sorts of things, and I think the people who follow me on my blog are too.  A lot of people don't follow me on my blog, but I know they go there every Sunday because I receive private messages from them instead of comments on my blog. 

Your blog followers' attention can be captured by many different subjects and you can keep them coming back for more.  Many of those people will be there when your next book comes out.

 

Now, I know some of you will disagree with me, so I'm eager to read your comments. Wink!

Sandra Marshall 
You can find me at Facebook, LinkedIn, Blog

Don't Quit, or You Won't Get Published

Why keep writing if you get a hundred rejections or more? The answer is simple because if you quit you most certainly won't be published.  If you want your stories out there you have to keep writing.

I received over a hundred rejections from editors and agents before I was published.  It's depressing to get the 'big R,' but if I had quit with the story I'd receive 93 ( yeah, that's a lot) I would never have a book in print. 

It's tough and humiliating to get turned over and over.  You think you can't do it any longer.  You even want to crawl in bed and pull the covers over your head and never get up again.  It's excruciating to keep going.  If you stay with writing, it will get easier, but it's always going to be tough. 

"Talent is helpful in writing, but guts are absolutely." Quote by Jessamyn West.

"A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit."  Quote by Richard Bach.

There are many people who are great writers, but they gave up because they were rejected. Life is tough, but if you want something you keep working. 

On September 13th, my book, A Fool's Fool came out in audio.  Here is the link: http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B00945MFMI&qid=1347906078&sr=1-1 

 

Tag:  Pranks are carried too far.

Blurb - Kathy O'Reilly, a strong-willed woman doesn't allow men to walk over her or anyone else.  When one of the co-owner's of Gagsters, Norm Jokes, is allowed to get away with playing pranks, she speaks up to her boss.

Jason Barrone, co-owner of Gagsters is attracted to his assistant and will not allow his best friend to cause him to lose her.  Jason wants them to be friends because he doesn't want to have to make a choice of who goes and who stays. 

 

Have a great Saturday.

 

Sandra K. Marshall

http://www.eirelander-publishing.com

Fool Me Twice

Hi Everyone,

I'm so sorry to be so late. I totally forgot I was supposed to post a blog today.

Today, I want to tell you a bit about the duet, Fool Me Twice, written by fellow author, Sandra Sookoo and A Fool's Fool by me, Sandra K. Marshall.

Blurb for Remembering Andy Devastated after her fiancé dies in Iraq, Claudia Foster packed up her life and moved to the city of Indianapolis. She wants to lose herself in the noise, sights and sounds of a place so foreign from her upbringing that nothing could remind her of her guilt surrounding Andy’s death. But fate has other plans.

Daniel Sorenson has put all thoughts of his brother Andy’s death from his mind just to get through the day yet running into Claudia again stirs up all the hidden feelings he has struggled so hard to hide. How can you love the girl who was supposed to marry your dead brother? As the two share their grief, they also share something deeper: laughter.

But is it enough? Or will they spend their whole lives simply remembering Andy and never embrace the love that could be theirs if only they could have the courage to reach for it.

A Fool's Fool blurb

Pranks are carried too far.

Kathy O'Reilly, a strong-willed woman doesn't allow men to walk over her or anyone else. When one of the co-owner's of Gagsters, Norm Jokes, is allowed to get away with playing pranks, she speaks up to her boss.

Jason Barrone, co-owner of Gagsters is attracted to his assistant and will not allow his best friend to cause him to lose her. Jason wants them to be friends because he doesn't want to have to make a choice of who goes and who stays.

To learn more about these two stories go http://www.eirelander-publishing.com/ and read excerpts there. Other buy links are http://allromanceebooks.com/product-foolmetwice-525509-149.html http://1placeforromance.com/romantic-fiction/foolmetwice/prod_3885.htm. Also at Amazon, Smashswords and B&N.

You may learn more about Sandra Sookoo at her website, http://www.sandrasookoo.com/, or look her up on Facebook or Twitter.

You may learn more about me at my website, http://www.skaymarshall.com/ or my blog, http://www.sandramarshallblog.blogspot.com/.

Have a good week.

Sincerely,

Sandra K. Marshall