The Last Limner
Ann Prehn
Type: Beta project
Genre: Historical fiction, romance
Word count: 145,000
Warnings: Graphic violence, graphic sexual content, swearing
Finally, a romance of the North! Immerse yourself in the first wave of bohemians in Greenwich Village, which in the 1860’s was surprisingly similar to the 1960’s. You’ll meet many historical characters who became famous, and watch how they and their Concord Abolitionist friends get caught up in the Civil War. Our protagonists are fictional, their near tragic romance epic. Please note: this book is over 120,000 words, so you will have three weeks to complete it, and the bonus will be £15.
It was an age of change. The last sailing ships were crossing the Atlantic, replaced by steamships. The last limners (itinerant artists) were being replaced by photographers. Puritanism was being replaced by Spiritism and Transcendentalism. Soon slavery would end, not by unionizing factory “wage slaves” and “black chattel slaves” as the Abolitionists intended, but in a brutal war. Many of the bohemians you’ll meet are famous (including John Wilkes Booth!) and the Abolitionists still are house-hold names like Harriet Tubman, John Brown, and Henry David Thoreau. Romantic Lillian manages to draw artist and protagonist Wendell into her mysterious involvements with runaway slaves and despite some graphic scenes, this is ultimately a deeply spiritual book.
I lived in Greenwich Village in the 1960’s and so was excited to find out that in 1860 a self-styled “bohemian” living in Greenwich Village likely painted the unsigned portrait of my great-great grandmother. This revelation led to a lot of research and surprises, and finally I said “Wow, there’s a novel here and someone has to write it!” Thirty years of writing and editing a magazine for the Harbin Hot Springs hippie commune honed my writing skills. This is my first novel.
Registrations closed early due to high demand.
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