Wednesday, September 7, 2016

DEAR LIZZIE


Lizzie Borden… Dog Lover?
By Christine Verstraete

Welcome to another stop on the book release blog tour for Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter! ** Follow the blog tour and be sure to get your copy of Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter in print and Kindle Sept. 13! **

Whatever you think you know about Lizzie Borden—spinster, “plain old maid” as one newspaper called her, Sunday School teacher, accused killer—she also was a dog lover.

Lizzie went on to live a quiet life after she was found not guilty on June 20, 1893, of killing her father, Andrew Borden, and her stepmother, Abby Durfee Borden, on August 4, 1892. She remained in her hometown of Fall River, Massachusetts, and bought a large Victorian house she named “Maplecroft” up on “The Hill” where the better-off lived.

Some say she always envied how others lived and used her ill-gotten gains to get what she always wanted. There is no proof, of course, to the rumors, or even that she was even actually guilty of the crimes.


Think what you want, but whatever can be said of Lizzie Borden, she loved dogs. And as the old saying goes, anyone who loves dogs and children can’t be all bad.

Settled into her new, much nicer and more modern home, (gas lights and indoor plumbing!), Lizzie went on to own three Boston Terriers. However, if we add a moment of psychoanalysis, was owning dogs, especially a certain breed, another way that Lizzie could prove her place in society? During the Victorian age in England, little “lap dogs” were a sign of status, according to Victoriana.com. (http://www.victoriana.com/VictorianPeriod/victorian-dogs.html).

Boston Terriers originated in Boston (hence the name) and soon became so popular that a American Bull Terrier Club was formed. By the end of 1910, the dog was one of the most popular breeds in the US. (http://www.dog-breeds-explorer.com/boston-terrier.html)

Still, she apparently loved animals enough that following her death on June 1, 1927, her will included a bequest of $30,000 and her stock shares in the Stevens Manufacturing Company to the Animal Rescue League of Fall River. The facility, now the Faxon Animal Care and Adoption Center, continues to receive a small amount (about $5-$6,000) annually, the Chicago Tribune reported in 2014. She also provided funds for other animals. See http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/pets/ct-pets-lizzie-0930-20141001-story.html.

The center also cared for her dogs after her death. They are buried at the Pine Ridge Pet Cemetery in Dedham, Mass., which dates back to the 1900s. They are buried by a gravestone that is a mini replica of the Borden family monument in the Oak Grove Cemetery. (See Roadside America - http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11265).


About Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter:

Every family has its secrets… 
   One hot August morning in 1892, Lizzie Borden picked up an axe and murdered her father and stepmother. Newspapers claim she did it for the oldest of reasons: family conflicts, jealousy, and greed. But what if her parents were already dead? What if Lizzie slaughtered them because they’d become zombies?
   Thrust into a horrific world where the walking dead are part of a shocking conspiracy to infect not only Fall River, Massachusetts, but also the world beyond, Lizzie battles to protect her sister, Emma, and her hometown from nightmarish ghouls and the evil forces controlling them. 



*** Yes, there is a contest to win 1 of 10 Kindle copies (ends 9/14.). Entrants MUST enter an email as a blog comment or on the rafflecopter to be sent a gift copy if they win. Sorry, no time to hunt you down. No email, no chance to win.  ** And please, review it on Goodreads and Amazon. **


Think you know Lizzie Borden? Read on! The blog tour schedule is:
Mon. Sept 5 - GirlZombieAuthors – Introduction – A Little About Lizzie
Tues. Sept. 6 - Jaime Johnesee blog – 12 Questions for Lizzie Borden
Weds. Sept. 7 - Jean Rabe's blog – Lizzie Borden… Dog Lover?
Thurs. Sept. 8 - AF Stewart blog interview
Fri. Sept.  9 - Haunt Jaunts blog – More Lizzie
Sat. Sept. 10 – Stephen D. Sullivan blog  - Lizzie Films
Sun. Sept. 11 GirlZombieAuthors recap
Camille Minichino blog  - Why oh why zombies?
Mon. Sept. 12 - Horror Maiden's Book Reviews
***Tues. Sept. 13 - RELEASE DAY!!!
    Join the FB Release Party - prizes, guest authors, zombie fun!! (See info posted on my Facebook page and website or the GirlZombieAuthors blog.)
Weds. Sept. 14 - Lizzie as a Zombie Hunter - Chapter Break Book Blog

* This isn't the end! Get your copy. Share a review. And come back to the GirlZombieAuthors blog or the author website for info on another blog tour starting Sept. 26 with Bewitching Book Tours.


1 comment: