Leon Czolgosz is my new nemesis. He’s dead, but he ruined my book. No, really. The guy totally destroyed the opening pages of Such a Tease.
Now, these days, not a whole lot of people remember the name of Leon Czolgosz. I didn’t. But I’ll never forget him now (although I may never remember how to spell his name).
Links in this post are likely affiliate links that provide me a small commission at no extra expense for you.
Who is he?
Only the guy who shot President McKinley. Why am I annoyed with him over a hundred years later? The idiot did this thing on September 6, 1901. You know, four days after Such a Tease opened? Yeah. Couldn’t he have done it on say… January 6, 1901? Even January 6, 1902, would have served my purposes.
Look, I’m not as callous as I appear. Truly. But if President McKinley had to die, did his murderer have to do it when it would completely mess up my book?
How did it RUIN my book you ask?
I’ll tell you. I left it out—the whole assassination thing. There I was, fixing a wedding date for one of the characters when a thought occurred to me. She could be married on Flag Day—if Flag Day was a thing then. I didn’t think it was. I really thought Wilson was responsible for that—you know, creating holidays in between his notes to Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany or something like that. But I hoped. Somehow—just maybe. I mean we had Labor Day from Cleveland, why not Flag Day from McKinley. But noooooo. He didn’t. What did he do?
He got shot. Four days after my book opened. And did my fingers do the Hemmingway “bleed” all over the page in empathetic unison with old McKinley? Nope.
Like I could ever get away with that. This was news! Big news. And nothing about it in the life of a daughter of a politician? I think not.
Not only did this Leon Czolgosz (no, really. It’s spelled correctly) shoot the president on September 6th, but he didn’t do a good job of it! Look, I think I’ve established that I didn’t want President McKinley killed. But if the guy with the unpronounceable last name had to do it, couldn’t he have done a good job of it? Couldn’t he have shot the president in the head? McKinley suffered for eight days before he died. Eight days! They thought he was getting better and then gangrene (some think pancreatitis–from where the bullet went through that handy little organ) killed him.
It would have been a mercy had Leon just shot McKinley in the head or the heart. Why the abdomen? Cruel, if you ask me.
Even for an anarchist.
And it made adding the whole affair to my book even more problematic. No, really! Think about it. I couldn’t have the newspapers announce the death of President McKinley on September 7th and then have a few mentions of the bank being affected or something. No… no… now I had to have a headline event, give false hope, and then add the death on top of it all.
Look, I do an obscene amount of research for my books. No, really. Keen was slang in 1901. Woohoo! Look up “peachy keen”? Yeah. Can’t use it. 1950s. The telephone? Can Madeline expect to use one in a burgeoning city in 1901? Considering there were over 850,000 telephones in use, yes. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to assume that a photographer who works for a local paper might have a telephone in order to receive calls requesting him to come photograph some big event—like the Mayor’s speech on the death of President McKinley, perchance?
Yep.
Somehow, I almost missed one of the biggest events in US history. Research saved the book—and ruined my timeline. All at the same time. Gotta love history. Or not.
And Leon Czolgosz? Yeah. Thanks for nothing.
Time to Celebrate!
(Now that is incongruous!)
If you’d like to watch the book trailer, here it is!
Caryl Kane says
March 23, 2017 at 6:18 amThis series sounds fun!
Here are the links to my shares.
https://www.facebook.com/caryl.kane/posts/10154206092181637
https://plus.google.com/106599455951476511859/posts/MMcxw7t9XPR
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/563512972112567935/
Chautona Havig says
March 23, 2017 at 5:01 pmThank you so much! I really appreciate it!
Tychia says
March 23, 2017 at 6:08 amPinned and tweeted! Love reading your work!
Chautona Havig says
March 23, 2017 at 5:02 pmThanks! I love writing it! We have something in common, no? 😀 Just teasing. I appreciate the pins and tweets!
Lonzine says
March 22, 2017 at 4:16 pmWow, have I ever been out of the loop. A new Madeline? Yes!
Chautona Havig says
March 22, 2017 at 4:43 pmHi, Lonzine! WOOT! Yep, she’s here and meddlin’!
Dianne Casey says
March 21, 2017 at 6:41 pm“Such A Tease” sounds like a really interesting read. I enjoy reading historical fiction and would love to read the book.
Chautona Havig says
March 21, 2017 at 6:47 pmI had fun with the tease aspect, which is funny because I almost renamed it when I couldn’t figure OUT anything to do with “tease.”
Bren says
March 21, 2017 at 6:11 pmPosted on Pinterest. Thanks for opportunity. Love reading your books.
Chautona Havig says
March 21, 2017 at 6:48 pmThanks! I really appreciate it!
Marguerite says
March 21, 2017 at 5:29 pmJust bought Sweet on You! Hope to get to it soon…..
Chautona Havig says
March 21, 2017 at 6:49 pmI actually have the second in your series in my planner to purchase for this week. I AM FREEEEEEEEEEEE to read whatever I want! HA!
Audrey says
March 21, 2017 at 4:33 pmTweet tweet! So glad you caught that biggie!
Emmal says
March 21, 2017 at 11:45 amI shared this post on Facebook. Loving the book, by the way!
Chautona Havig says
March 21, 2017 at 1:44 pmThank you! And I’m glad you enjoy it. I loved it, but I’m um… biased.
Beverly says
March 21, 2017 at 9:39 amWhat a great sounding book!
Chautona Havig says
March 21, 2017 at 1:44 pmThanks! 😀
Sarah Sarber says
March 21, 2017 at 9:31 amI’ve tweeted, pinned both the trailer & cover, & FB posted the trailer & Amazon link… I think that’s everything. Now I’m off to read the book! ?
Vicki Hancock says
March 21, 2017 at 9:05 amPinned cover (actually on about 3 of my boards because I’m half asleep and it took me 3 times to get it on right board lol). Shared the story on FB, Twitter, and Pinterest!
It was amusing that’s for sure!
Chautona Havig says
March 21, 2017 at 1:45 pmOh dear! Thank you so much, but man! You win the prize for persistence!
Barb says
March 21, 2017 at 8:46 amExcited for you, my friend! Another great book launch! Whoot whoot!!!
Chautona Havig says
March 21, 2017 at 1:46 pmYou make me smile! 🙂
Angela Martin says
March 21, 2017 at 8:32 amI love this! Thank you for spending this kind of time hunting for treasure. (I bet you’re a lot of fun in a Bible study!)
Love,
A fellow geek
?
Chautona Havig says
March 21, 2017 at 1:46 pmYou know… yeah. I’m THAT person in a Bible Study. “Yeah, but there’s that verse… let me find it…”
Angela Martin says
March 21, 2017 at 3:41 pmMe too!! I get puzzled looks sometimes (“You looked up the Greek?!”) but it’s so rewarding! And this McKinley Easter egg is great. I shared! ?
Chautona Havig says
March 21, 2017 at 6:57 pmI have a dear friend from Greece who always says, “You know this word?” LOL
Donna says
March 21, 2017 at 8:21 amIs there going to be another book in the Agency Files series? I never felt like Keith and Erika were completely finished. I loved their story, and just wanted more.
Chautona Havig says
March 21, 2017 at 1:47 pmYES! I’m so excited about it. I have a LOT more Agencies planned–from before Justified Means, after, and a spin-off with Paris and Henry
Linda says
March 21, 2017 at 7:33 amLove it, Everything… The book, the tea, the tea for one…. I am such a tea person and love
The art of tea !!! I so can’t wait to read your book.
Linda Marie
Chautona Havig says
March 21, 2017 at 1:53 pmThank you! I loved putting it all together. IT just fit that cover, you know?
Connie Saunders says
March 21, 2017 at 6:34 amI live the cover and I am so eager to read the story. I have shared on Twitter and Pinterest and I follow you on FB, Twitter and Instagram.
Thank you and Blessings!
Connie
https://twitter.com/cps1950/status/844177302351241216
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/258534834840662667/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/441845413426985736/
Chautona Havig says
March 21, 2017 at 1:56 pmThanks, Connie! 😀
Deanna says
March 21, 2017 at 6:15 amPutting this on my wanted list!!
I tweeted 🙂
Chautona Havig says
March 21, 2017 at 6:16 amThanks! And awesome name, btw.
Chautona Havig says
March 21, 2017 at 1:57 pmWoohoo!!! Perhaps you’ll win! 😀
Diane says
March 21, 2017 at 5:43 amI saved the cover on my Pinterest writing board. I look forward to reading the book.
Chautona Havig says
March 21, 2017 at 5:52 amThank you, Diane!
Lucinda Culp says
March 21, 2017 at 5:19 amFB, Tweeted, Pinned and am headed to IG because I am still a little new to posting there. Looking forward to the bonus story!
Cindy says
March 21, 2017 at 5:14 amYahoo!! Another Chautona book. I was just looking for a new one to read!
Chautona Havig says
March 21, 2017 at 5:17 amI really love this book. So much fun, even if Leon tried to ruin it.
Olivia says
March 21, 2017 at 4:49 amYippee, it’s out!!! So excited 🙂 And I already follow you on Instagram.
Jessica says
March 21, 2017 at 4:44 amOh my goodness…darn history, messing things up 😉 Now I want to see how you managed to mesh the two.
Chautona Havig says
March 21, 2017 at 4:47 amWho do these people think they are, right? And really, McKinley was a Flag Day Slacker. Just sayin’! 😉