Hi and “WELCOME” to Rave Reviews Book Club’s BOOK, BLOG & TRAILER BLOCK PARTY at Watch Nonnie Write!
Giveaway
Here’s what I’m giving away today:
One (1) $25 Amazon gift card
One (1) ebook copy of Through the Nethergate
Number of winners for this stop: 2
About Roberta Writes
I started this blog, Roberta Writes, in 2018 when I changed from writing mainly for children and poetry to writing horror, historical and supernatural short stories and novels. Since launching this blog I have published my first supernatural fantasy novel, Through the Nethergate, with a second supernatural historical novel, A Ghost and His Gold, due for publication in Jan/Feb 2021.
This blog is where I promote my adult and young adult writing and also where I share posts written from prompts, book reviews of adult and classic books, darker poetry and other thoughts about historical events that interest me, writing and life in general.
In keeping with the spirit of this blog, today I am sharing some information about Pandemics, then and now.
Epidemics in the form of malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, influenza, smallpox and other first started appearing 10 000 years ago when humanity shifted from a hunter-gatherer to an agrarian lifestyle.
The creation of cities and forging of trade routes as well as wars have facilitated the spread of these epidemics to become pandemics.
The earliest recorded pandemic happened during the Peloponnesian War after a disease passed through Libya, Ethiopian and Egypt and spread to Athens. This was in 430 B.C. In 165 A.D. the Antonine Plague spread from the Huns throughout the Roman Empire and lasted for fifteen years.
Plagues and pandemics remained with humankind and some of the most well-known examples are the Black Death of 1350 A.D., The Great Plague of London of 1665 A.D., The Spanish Flu of 1918 and the HIV/AIDS pandemic of 1981. On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organisation announced that COVID-19 was officially a pandemic after infecting people in 114 countries in three months.
Mankind is resilient and adaptable and survival strategies were developed to help contain pandemics and allow people to continue with an adapted from of life during disease outbreaks.
The five most important of these strategies are as follows:
- Quarantine – The first legal quarantine occurred in the port city of Ragusa (today’s Dubrovnik) on the 27th of July 1377 during an outbreak of the Black Death. Doctors at this time observed that the spread of the Black Death could be slowed by isolating infected individuals. During the outbreak of the Spanish Flu in 1918, American cities such as San Francisco quarantined naval arrivals before they could enter the city. In both San Francisco and St. Louis, social gatherings were banned, and theatres and schools were closed.
- Socially distant food and drink pickup – During the Italian Plague of 1629 to 1631 A.D. wealthy citizens of Tuscany introduced wine windows whereby narrow windows were cut into homes, to enable wine sellers to sell their wine to waiting customers without the customers entering the homes or the sellers going out into the streets. New York implemented “to-go” cocktail windows during COVID-19 which is based on the same principle.
- Wearing masks – Doctors treating plague patients wore long, bird-like beaks. These beaks created social distance between the patient and the doctor and partially covered their mouth and nose. At that time, doctors believed in miasma theory that diseases spread through bad smells in the air. In 1918, masks played an important role in stopping the spread of infection to the public. San Francisco made wearing masks mandatory in September 1918 and those who didn’t comply faced fines, imprisonment and social shaming. Newspaper printed instructions on how to make masks at home. Does any of this ring a bell with you?
- Washing hands and surfaces – In the early 20th century, hand washing, which was unusual at the time, started to be encouraged. Powder rooms or ground-floor bathrooms were installed for use by guests and delivery people to stop the spread of germs throughout homes.
- Fresh air and adaptive schooling – Universities and schools have been closed in the past to help contain pandemics. In 1665, Isaac Newton was sent home from Cambridge University to him family’s home following an outbreak of bubonic plague. In 1918, American cities adopted the concept of open-air schools to help contain the Spanish Flu pandemic. The movement towards fresh air at this time also encouraged the creation of green spaces in cities.
We can see that pandemics have been a feature of human existence for thousands of years and the current COVID-19 prevention techniques are based on previous experiences in containing the spread of diseases. I thought this was interesting and it also amazes me how little infection prevention has changed over hundreds of years.
About Through the Nethergate
Blurb
Margaret, a girl born with second sight, has the unique ability to bring ghosts trapped between Heaven and Hell back to life. When her parents die suddenly, she goes to live with her beloved grandfather, but the cellar of her grandfather’s ancient inn is haunted by an evil spirit of its own.
In the town of Bungay, a black dog wanders the streets, enslaving the ghosts of those who have died unnatural deaths. When Margaret arrives, these phantoms congregate at the inn, hoping she can free them from the clutches of Hugh Bigod, the 12th century ghost who has drawn them away from Heaven’s White Light in his canine guise.
With the help of her grandfather and the spirits she has befriended, Margaret sets out to defeat Hugh Bigod, only to discover he wants to use her for his own ends – to take over Hell itself.
Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Website
https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/
Blog
https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com
Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19631306.Roberta_Eaton_Cheadle
https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites/?modal=admin_todo_tour
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roberta-writes.com 
Reblogged this on Ed;s Site..
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Thank you, Ed.
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It’s a good book trailer, Robbie! And those bird masks from the Plague times, oh, they freak me out.
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They are rather horrible looking, Priscilla. If you were very ill, I’m sure the doctors would look like demons in those masks.
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I’ve seen those bird masks with the long beaks depicted in movies. I had no idea they were related to the plague!
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I read a book about the black plague and also Journal of a Plague Year by Daniel Defoe so I did know. I didn’t know how similar historical practices to prevent the spread of epidemics were to our current strategies. It was quite an eye opener.
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Given the similarities, I can’t help but wonder if we’ve become too complacent about modern medicine.
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Oh, we definitely have. People think that modern medicine means that people no longer die of diseases and that is just not true. Lots of people don’t vaccinate their children against horrible illnesses like diphtheria, polio, hooping cough and tetanus because this illnesses have never touched their lives so they’ve forgotten how terrible they are. I live in Africa and have seen what can happen with cholera outbreaks and other terrible illnesses. We are very complacent. Another thing is that a lot of people are a bit ignorant about medications and don’t realise that you can’t treat a virus with an antibiotic.
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I can’t understand why anyone wouldn’t vaccinate children against diseases that can cripple or kill them. We don’t have to go back too many generations to see high infant and child mortality due to these diseases.
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Few people even know about the past, Liz, the majority live day-to-day. It is the same with the abuse of antibiotics through ignorance and maybe laziness. People don’t finish the course and this has caused superbugs. In Africa, we now have drug resistance TB because people stop treatment before it is complete.
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I guess I must take knowledge of history for granted. I was brought up on it through my dad.
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I always liked history too, Liz, and was an odd kid with my nose always in a book. Most people don’t know about history.
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Fascinating look at history, Robbie! The saying comes to mind, “there is nothing new under the sun.” Thank you for sharing and good wishes for much success with the new release!
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Thank you, Jan, I appreciate your comment. I hope you are having a nice weekend. You are right about history repeating itself and nothing being new but rather a different derivation.
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Really enjoyed how you took us back in time to show the connection of history’s past pandemics to today. We can get past this if we work together and take the precautions needed to protect ourselves and others. Also, I enjoy a good noir story and you have offered us a unique view of good versus evil. Four dragon thumbs up!
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Thank you, I am glad you found this post interesting. I was amazed at how far back these same or similar strategies went in our history. My family are wearing masks when we go out and I do believe it helps.
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Good post. Love that book.
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Thank you, Jacqui. I’ve been thinking about your post on marketing today. It is a difficult one but your ideas are good and you are kind to share about them.
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This is so informative Roberta.
And very educative too. It fills me with hope for this pandemic ending.
How and who wins that free ebook copy of through the nethergate.?
I would have bought but it’s still very tough times on my end. Just for now.
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Hi Jude, the people who comment on the post go into a draw for the prizes. I don’t do it, the club (RRBC) does it so it is all fair.
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So I’m in now?
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This was a great post, Robbie! I knew of some of those moments in history, but I enjoyed learning about the new ones. The phrase “time repeats itself” comes to mind when I think of not only pandemics taking place throughout time but also how people react to them. I have Through the Nethergate on my Kindle and look forward to reading it very soon. 🙂
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Thank you, Yvette. I hope you enjoy it when you get to it. It is really amazing that despite all our technology and progress, we still have so little control over a virus.
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Good information on how we’ve dealt with past plagues. How sad little has changed. Funny you mentioned the bird-like mask. My daughter got me one to wear this Halloween. Great post!
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Did she really, that is interesting. I knew that the doctors during the plague wore those strange masks and it makes sense they were for protection. They also wore cloaks. I doubt they washed them though, which would have been a negative in controlling the spread of disease.
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I loved your brilliant video – I had goosebumps.
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Thank you, Rebecca. I though Nonnie did a splendid job creating that video.
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I love your imagination and the way your present your books.
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amazing to think that we have been using the same strategies to fight pandemics for so long. Hopefully it’s because such strategies work. Good luck with your book!
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Thank you, Jim. I thought it was interesting that the strategies are still so similar. What else is there though when there is no vaccination?
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the vaccine can’t get here soon enough…
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Hey Robbie, great insights on the history of pandemics. Looking froward to reading Nethergate. Best wishes in building the library of intriguing works in the new genre.
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Thank you, Sam, I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
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Amazing insight – and a great book to boot! Bravo Robbie!
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Thank you, John.
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Very interesting post Robbie, thanks for sharing. Enjoy the rest of your day.
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Thank you for visiting and commenting, Robert.
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Your website and book trailer are first class. And your books are certainly themed for the month of October and Halloween. Very informative post, Robbie. I have known that plagues emerge periodically for centuries, but I did not know that the very practices we are supposed to be adapting this year have been around a long time: quarantine, social distancing, masks and open-air schooling were a “thing” then too.
Great post, great writer . . . brava, Robbie!
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Hi Marian, thank you for visiting me and commenting. I am rather drawn to spooky and supernatural writing for adults and YA which is quite different to my writing for children. I thought the open air school was a good idea and I know it is being implemented in certain schools and universities.
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Interesting pandemic facts, thanks for sharing.
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Hi Charles, thank you for visiting. I’m glad you found this post interesting.
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AWESOME blog post, Robbie! I love that you gave so much information about previous pandemics. We can learn a lot from history. OUTSTANDING trailer! Spooky and intriguing at the same time. It’s a mini horror movie. Your book is moving up my TBR pile! Can’t wait to read it. Maybe sleep with the lights on.
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Thank you so much, I’m glad you enjoyed this post and the information. I really thought it was interesting and a bit surprising to see how little real progress we’ve made in managing the spread of viruses.
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This is very interesting to see the parallels over the years. Your research is well done. Thanks for sharing it with us.
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Thank you, Darlene, I thought it was interesting, especially that we haven’t really progressed that much in avoiding the spread of viruses, despite all our technology.
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This is all information that has been circulating in bits and pieces, but the way you put it together makes it clear and understandable. I think most people in the United States have family members in their grandparents’ generation that died in the 1918 flu pandemic. But somehow the horror was minimized over time. I even saw a photo of a baseball game being played back then where all the players were wearing masks! (K)
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Hi Kerfe, playing sport in a mask must be a bit tough but you can get used to most things. I thought these facts and the historical timeline were very interesting. Thanks for visiting.
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Fascinating, Robbie! Sounds like a #mustread for all of us today. Awesome party stop, my friend!
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Hi Bette, this book is dark and supernatural, so it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. I do enjoy these kind of books myself. I was interested to learn that the most popular book genre is romance, followed by sci fi and then horror. Interesting.
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I’m way far from horror, but look forward to reading Nethergate! My faves are historical fiction, memoir, mystery, romance, poetry…. ❤
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Hi Bette, Through the Nethergate is not horror, it is supernatural fantasy so not to scary. There is a lot of history in it. I like all sorts of genres and enjoy trying new styles of writing and poetry.
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Interesting blog post, Robbie – your spooky book trailer was awesome!
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Thank you, Wendy. The trailer was Nonnie’s handiwork and she certainly has a talent for it.
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Congratulations on your books and thanks so much for being here! Enjoy the rest of the tour.
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Hi Flossie, thanks for visiting and commenting.
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Hi Robbie. You have a timely piece on pandemics. We could use a history lesson because in the US we have thousands of selfish people who move around without masks and gather in close proximity at rallies led by our current leader. I hope this will end very soon and that something is put into place that will be mandatory for everybody. I pray that it will.
Thank you for giving us a history lesson.
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Hi Shirley, I know that mask wearing has become politicalized in the USA which is a shame. Here in South Africa, people are generally happy to comply with the government regulations and it does seem to have worked for us. I was very interested in the fact that the methods being advised and employed now are so similar to those used in the past.
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Robbie even though your country is doing the right thing, it won’t matter much even globally unless your country locks down. That is what I would advise.
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We had over 5 months of lockdown through our autumn and winter [26 March to 31 August]. It is summer here now and very hot. The virus seems to be much less prevalent here now. We are still in a lower level of lock down and there are no tourists allowed so, hopefully, that will help.
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You have a nice collection of books to entice readers this spooky season. I’m also fond of the supernatural, paranormal, and whatever goes bump in the night.
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Hi Susanne, thanks for visiting and commenting. I saw from your post that you are also a fan of these genres.
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Hi, Roberta! Great post and I love the title of your upcoming release! Thanks for sharing!
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Hi Nonnie, thanks for stopping by. I am glad you like the title.
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Great all-round post, Robbie 🙂 Nice tie in with COVID, plagues and Nethergate. I think plagues are something very close to people’s minds right now.
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Yes, I think people are really shocked at this C-19. Most people never think about illness being a real threat to humanity any more so this has been an overwhelming wakeup call.
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Oh you’re so right there. Myself included!
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Hi Robbie,
you are indeed highly talented. I didn’t know you write in other genres, so I was pleasantly surprised.
As I read your article about pandemics, I thought to myself, how quickly people forget that the pandemic today issei’s nothing new. Great Article.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat Garcia
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Hi Pat, thank you very much for your kind comment. It is true that humanity has suffered from plagues and pandemics for centuries.
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