Late Victorian Dynamite and Demolition

The Discovery of Dynamite

Dynamite was invented by Alfred Nobel (of Nobel Prize fame) in 1862. He was a Swedish chemist who took out hundreds of patents. His first experience with nitroglycerin was in France, which both intrigued and inspired him. Nitro was extremely dangerous owing to its volatility. It was Nobel who came up with the idea of safely detonating the substance by use of a blasting cap which would allow a controlled explosion to ignite from a fuse that was a distance away. Lo and behold, it worked.

Six years later, the first full-blown (pardon the pun) factory was built to mass produce the new explosive matter. Twenty years after that, a Hungarian engineer used five blasts of dynamite to take down a 200 ft. chimney, which opened the door wide for the use of the explosive as a tool for demolition.

In my new release, The Bride of Blackfriars Lane, Jackson and Kit are trapped in an area designated for just such an explosion. How will they escape? You’ll have to read it to find out. Here’s a blurb:

Detective Jackson Forge can hardly wait to marry the street-sly swindler who's turned his life upside down. Kit Turner is equally excited to wed the handsome detective, and what better way to show her love than providing him with a gift any man of the law would love? She determines to bring to justice the men who years ago maimed his brother despite Jackson's warning to leave the past in the past. As she digs into the mystery of what happened, she unwittingly tumbles into her own history and endangers her future happiness with Jackson.

Snatch up your copy now at your favorite bookseller or try your hand at winning 1 of 10 signed copies on the following rafflecopter contest.

Michelle Griep

Michelle Griep is an author, blogger, and occasional super-hero when her cape is clean.

https://michellegriep.com
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