Gaming after years of idle dice -- Call of Cthulhu revisited #roleplaying

Regan Worth

Last night John and I did something we hadn't done in years. We sat down with friends to play Call of Cthulhu. The game, like our Dime Store Novel series, was set in New Orleans. The time period was around 1926 -- or right after High Rollers. John was the storyteller, as he had been so many afternoons and evenings in the past. He was a bit nervous, since he hadn't flung the dice is so many years. So was I. But we were both excited to be in the game again.

I played Regan Worth -- a character who had first come to life at the gaming table about 10 years ago and who made her written debut in High Rollers.

Our friend Doug also played a character he had invented around 10 years ago, in a Call of Cthulhu campaign I ran -- the one in which John brought Swampy to life. Doug played the soup-slurping priest who made his written debut in From the Gator's Mouth. Steve, Brandon, and John N. played students -- peers of Regan. It was the first day of school. The day started with catechism. And a lockdown.

"What?!" cries  Regan. "I'm not sitting in a dumb school all day. I have things to do. People to see."

Steve tries the window and -- wouldn't you know it, it's locked. About that time, we hear a noise. Regan, due to the fact her father is a bootlegger, recognizes it as a gunshot. Sure enough, a few minutes later, a bleeding man staggers through the door and dies. Well...the priest claims he's dead. But then Brandon tries to move him. Sanity check. The man twitches.

Steve, decides to hook him up to an electrical outlet. The body fries. Regan is non too happy -- not only does the room stink to high heaven, but there is no ghost. WHAT?! No ghost?! Even when the priest gives last rights -- no ghost. Something is not right, but she can't confide in these people -- these people who would just think she's crazy. So she keeps still. 

Before long, she hears a shuffling noise. So does the priest. They look out the doorway and see a blank-faced guy shuffling along. Knowledge check. "The Walking Dead." Whatever. Even the walking dead should have have a ghost, right? Wrong. The priest repels him with the cross and then says the stupid 23rd Psalm. Bam...the walking dead drops. Holy water splash and still no ghost. Regan is not impressed and, in fact, is getting a little annoyed at the priest. How is she supposed to learn something if she can't even talk to the ghosts -- not that there are any....but still.

The party splits up. Steve and John N. head to the shop classroom to try to find makeshift weapons. Regan and the priest spot a ghost. Regan sees a lever that opens a secret door into a slave's staircase. Surprisingly, the priest steps into the stairway. Regan follows. So does Brandon. The priest keeps staring at the walls. Regan doesn't have a clue why, but she's glad enough because it slows his pace and she has short legs. Plus, she is wearing stiletto heels. Clip-clip, up the stairs. The priest stops and talks to someone in an office. He does not look happy. Regan hears a cthunk- chtunk coming up some other stairwell. She draws her gun.....

It was a fun night of gaming. It was different playing Regan's character around other people again, instead of just between me and the page. I think we'll do it again. 

Do you want to hear more about our gaming adventures? Leave a comment to let us know.

Characters Talking -- Knowing the Slang

When I'm writing dialog, one of the things I take seriously is the way a character uses slang. I try to be consistent, not only with the character's personality, but also with the slang that was popular during the time period. This is especially challenging for characters like Regan Worth because she uses A LOT of slang. It's also challenging for characters like Swampy because he invents his own slang.

While working on  Dirty Money, I find myself doing a lot of research on the slang of the 1920s, but also on the slang used in the years leading up to the 1920s. While Regan would use current slang, Maggie O'Malley probably wouldn't. However, Maggie might use the slang that was popular in 1900 or 1910. A character's background is a factor as well. Dylan Worth spends a lot of time in jazz joints, so his slang would be very different than his best friend Duncan O'Malley's slang. However, since they grew up together, they might both use slang from their past.

I thought it would be fun to share some of the slang used by the Dime Store Novel characters. 

Regan Worth

“So he’s a DICK. That’s worse! I’ll be the laughing stock of the whole place. Besides, he’s a wet blanket. He never even smiled at me.” -- High Rollers

"Horsefeathers! I've seen the women who hang on you at the Owl. There's not an ounce of fat between them." -- Dirty Money

Hanover Fist

“I prefer shooting dice.” -- High Rollers

“Like the glue on your shoe,” Hanover said, nibbling her earlobe a little.

“More like the gum in my hair,” Toledo grinned.  -- The Reunion

Swampy

“It wasn’t the sex,” Hanover said. “I wanted the car.”
“Death traps,” Swampy said. “I want my coffin made from oak.”

“Then you won’t take a ride with me?”

“When gators eat marigolds.”   -- The Reunion

“Well, I’ll be a Louisiana snowflake.” -- From the Gator's Mouth

Duncan O'Malley

“You want me to be a flat foot?”  -- Angels in Hell's Kitchen

“I’ll cut you slack for awhile, but I do want you to let your old man know that Duncan O’Malley walks Hell’s Kitchen now and that I won’t put up with a child beater.” -- Angels in Hell's Kitchen

Do you have a favorite character who uses slang?  I'd love to know.

Facts and Fiction - Baby Bottles in the 1920s

Like many of the books in the Dime Store Novel series, the book I'm currently writing is set in the 1920s -- 1921 to be precise. Writing in the past presents a challenge for a stream-of-consciousness writer like myself. Just when the story is flowing, the images are clear in my head, and the words are pouring from my fingertips, that nag who lives in my left brain will shout out. "Are you sure it looked like that?  Did they even have that in 1921? You didn't live there, how would you know?"

And so I stop writing and head to Google or Bing or whatever search engine decides to present itself first. I don't know how writers survived before the Internet. The libraries must have been full of pajama-clad people with wild hair. And what about when the doubt struck at 5 AM or 2 AM?  Oh right...that's why we had index cards and sticky notes.

Anyway, back to my story. Such an event happened just a few days ago. I was chuckling away at how funny it was going to be to have Regan try to feed a bottle to a baby who'd only ever sucked at a breast. Regan --the party girl, already pooped on and now this. When suddenly I realized I had no idea what a baby bottle looked like in the 1920s.

Wedgewood Feeder, circa 1820

And so I searched. I learned an awful lot about the history of baby bottles that morning. Did you know that baby bottles have come in various shapes and sizes?  That the feeding vessels made of pottery have been excavated from graves dug more than 3500 years ago?  That the rubber nipple wasn't even patented until 1845 and wasn't of much use until 1900?

Allenbury Feeder

I finally came across the Allenbury Feeder, which had two holes: one for the nipple and the other to fill the bottle. Supposedly this was a more sanitary solution than the earlier feeders, which were difficult to clean. Banana-shaped feeders like this one were developed in 1894 and the Allenbury Feeder was popular in the 1920s. In fact, it was sold up through the 1950s. So it fits in fine with the timeline. It also works with the story because Regan will have no idea how to use this thing. I love when fact supports the fiction.

If you're interested in learning more about baby bottles, here are some links I found.
History of Nursing Bottles
The History of the Feeding Bottle
Baby Bottle, Victorian-Edwardian, Original

High Rollers - Released for Kindle

To celebrate Halloween, we are releasing High Rollers, the first book in the Dime Store Novel series to feature Regan Worth, the daughter of Jazz pianist and bootlegger, Blazing Fingers Worth.

Regan Worth

Halloween is an apt time to release a book about Regan because she has the ability to see and talk to ghosts. Regan is a wild party girl, so some people think the ghosts she sees are drug-induced. But Regan knows better -- she's been seeing ghosts since she was 5.

When High Rollers begins, Regan is an adult -- still living with Daddy, but then he pays the bills. He also lays down the rules and he tells her she can only attend the christening of a new riverboat casino if Hanover Fist accompanies her. Regan is not happy, but she pays Hanover to accompany. On the riverboat, strange events occur and Regan runs into a gangster who has a keen romantic interest in her. When a jazz singer is murdered, Regan finds herself in need of Hanover's help once again.

Although High Rollers is the 6th Dime Store Novel, it is a story in its own right. Therefore, you can pick up the series here and go back and read about the rest of the characters. We hope you will. In fact, if you review High Rollers, we will send you a coupon for one of the earlier Dime Store Novel ebooks.

To celebrate the release of High Rollers, Regan will be leading a ghostly tour through some haunted areas during Coffin Hop. Coffin Hop runs from 10/24 through 10/31. During this time, we will be giving away all sorts of goodies. We'll also have a drawing for a trick-or-treat bag filled with fun prizes.

 

And don't forget -- you can still read and vote for The Big Hill in America's Next Author contest.