Unlocked: A Writing Collaboration from Paper Lantern Writers
What tales are revealed when an old wooden chest is UNLOCKED?
Available Now: An anthology of eight stories spanning seven centuries from Paper Lantern Writers.
Paper Lantern Writers is a marketing collective of historical fiction novelists. Most of us have published at least one book, and some of us have several books. The focus of the group is to promote each other’s writing on our own social media as well as on Paper Lantern Writers’.
About a year ago, we decided to publish an anthology of short stories. We all write in different eras and different countries, and we represent a variety of subgenres (mystery, fantasy, women’s, romance, etc.). A collection of such varied short stories could be disjointed if presented without some sort of connection. We needed a unifying theme to tie the stories together. Enter the chest. Each of the eight stories in our anthology features the same sea chest, transported through time. The inspiration for this chest came from a 15th Century French piece, purchased in 1957 by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, currently housed in the Cloisters Collection. The chest features two carved coats of arms: one representing France and the other the Dauphin, as well as the oft-referenced heart-shaped lock.
Our stories start in the swinging seventies and travel back in time to the Middle Ages. Within the pages of Unlocked, you will find mayhem, war, strength, and fortitude, as well as both heroes and villains.
This 15th Century French chest is the unifying piece for the stories in the historical fiction anthology Unlocked
Who knows what treasures will be found when this ancient trunk is finally Unlocked?
The Happy Heart: A groovy, tarot-soaked tale about a late-blooming flower child seeking enlightenment.
Trust No One: In World War II Washington, a baby shower is overshadowed by espionage, ambition, and betrayal.
True Legacy: A 1920's inheritance chronicles secrets told and secrets kept, shaping a family's story.
Threadbare Linens: During the American Civil War, a family is torn apart by filicide and assorted family warfare.
A Rarefied Gift: A Regency London mystery about adult twins searching for answers surrounding their birth.
The Shell: In 1679 Amsterdam, a wife struggles to forget a past love.
Joanna’s Choice: A Renaissance story of a woman who longs to escape her scandalous past.
The Dragon Lord: A Medieval tale of romance and religion vying for supremacy at the Winter Solstice.
Stories contributed by: Kathryn Pritchett, Ana Brazil, Linda Ulleseit, Mari Anne Christie, Edie Cay, Rebecca D’Harlingue, C.V. Lee, and Anne M. Beggs.
Find out more about Paper Lantern Writers and this anthology on our blog, and visit us in our Facebook group SHINE with Paper Lantern Writers. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Linda Ulleseit is a founding member of Paper Lantern Writers and award-winning author of historical fiction.
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