Pure Lies Premiering Soon

It’s now high time that ev’ry Crime be brought to punishment: Wrath long contain’d, and oft restrain’d, at last must have a vent: Justice severe cannot forbear to plague sin any longer, But must inflict with handmost strict mischief upon the wronger.

The Day of Doom, Stanza 139,  Michael Wigglesworth, 1662 

Pure Lies opens with this quote from The Day of Doom, a grim, religious tome written in the mid seventeenth century.  It is a fitting opening to my novel about the Salem witch trials and to a time of primitive superstition, fanatical religion, a radical Calvinist philosophy of pre-destination, and a lifestyle that was harsh and mirthless.

My research into this time period gave me new insight into the early days of our country and the Puritan way of life.  Unless you were wealthy, your days were spent working from dawn to dusk in the fields, or the kitchen, or the barns, to earn a livelihood, or to simply survive.

In addition, Puritans had to contend with unmerciful winters, living in crowded little homes with no heat except a fireplace; hot, humid and buggy summers (with no A/C); being plagued by Indian raids — always a serious threat; and facing the difficulties of raising and growing their own food to sustain their families.  Bleak.

Young men and women had it particularly rough because school and learning was a luxury and often done at home or not at all.  They had the drudgery of chores to keep them out of mischief, but socializing was confined to church and church activities.  Dancing, singing, music in general was frowned upon.  The books they were allowed to read were limited to religious works like “The Day of Doom,” and the Bible.

In some ways, it’s easy to see how the young girls of Salem would conjure up a diversion to give their life . . . life.  To alleviate their boredom, although boredom was not in fact a word at the time.  “Taedium vitae — the weariness or loathing of life” would be more exact.

In “Pure Lies” we see how a group of so-called “afflicted” girls send the townsfolk of Salem into a mad spiral of fear, superstition, and vengeance.  Nine people would pay with their lives, innocent victims alleged to be possessed by Satan.  How did this come to pass?  Why did the deacons and magistrates of the Court of Oyer and Terminer (to hear and determine) believe the accusers rather than the accused?  Were the girls so skilled in the art of dissembling?  In any event, if the judges believed that the devil was, indeed, visited upon Salem, it was their sacred obligation to save the God-fearing citizens from his sorcery.

As always in my books, I take the truth about real historic events and add a “conspiracy” or “alternative history” element.  Could it have happened that way?  In Pure Lies I would have to say yes, it could have happened that way.  In earlier books, most likely no.  You can decide for yourself.

Please forgive this blatant self-promotion but I’m excited about Pure Lies going live soon.  I hope you enjoy it and I welcome feedback.