Blog
Courting Danger by J G Harlond #WW2 #MurderMystery
I've read both the other books in this series so was really looking forward to this third book. And its an absolute cracker. When the local doctor is found semi-submerged in a pond associated with the Old Gods - Gogmagog Ditch, Bob Robbins and his sidekick Laurie...
Historical Fiction – Info-dumps and how to ditch them #amwriting #HistFic
Readers of historical fiction love complex world-building, but only when it is integral to the story. How do I tell if I've written an info-dump? Nothing within the info dump is occurring in the actual moment of the scene. Often they are regurgitations of the past...
Paul Walker’s ‘A State of Treason’ Elizabethan Spy Thriller #audiobook #CoffeePotBookClub
I'm delighted to highlight the new Elizabethan spy mystery 'State of Treason' today by Paul Walker. Audiobook listeners will be delighted that it is already available in audio - Listen Here London, 1578 William Constable is a scholar of mathematics, astrology and...
The Lengthening Shadow by Liz Harris #Review #CoffeePotBookClub
Review of The Lengthening Shadow I've read all three of the Linford Saga books now and thoroughly enjoyed them all. Liz Harris has a flowing easy-to-read writing style that pulls the reader along. This is the third part of a series but can definitely be read as a...
Editing Historical Fiction: Fix your childhood tics with glee
When I am writing, I am aware that my own childhood reading history can creep into my writing, dragging it back to an era less sophisticated than where I am now. Often we forget that these shorthand phrases still exist in our sub-conscious somewhere, and they are...
My new website, simplicity out of complexity
I'm delighted to say my website is now fully functional, and I can relax! Having an author website that actually performs well for me and that I can update easily was a priority. I have limited time, so I didn't want to spend ages designing it myself, as I'd much...
COVER REVEAL! New covers for the Women of Pepys’ Diary Trilogy
I’m delighted to be able to show you the three new covers for the Women of Pepys’ Diary Trilogy , published by Headline Accent. First, Deb Willet, self-possessed maidservant to Mrs Pepys, and a woman of wit, intelligence and courage. In Pleasing Mr Pepys, she is...
Historical Fiction Recommendations – ‘THE PROPHET’ and ‘ALVAR THE KINGMAKER’
Science, religion and superstition clash in this intelligent murder mystery I read the first book in the Tabitha Hart series, The Almanack, and was really keen to read the second. And I’m pleased to say I loved this intricate murder mystery, with its potent dose of...
Rebecca’s Choice – An #Interview with debut novelist Heidi Gallacher #historicalfiction #Romance
Its always a pleasure to interview someone who is launching their first novel, so I'm thrilled to welcome Welsh author Heidi Gallacher to my blog today to tell me about her historical romance, Rebecca's Choice, as part of her Coffee Pot Book Club Tour. Tell me about...
Falling Pomegranate Seeds (All Manner of Things 2) by Wendy J Dunn #Tudor #CoffeePotBookClub
I'm delighted to introduce my readers and historical fiction fans to today's Book Blast, and author Wendy J Dunn. Her new Tudor book is out now! Winter, 1539 María de Salinas is dying. Too ill to travel, she writes a letter to her daughter Katherine, the young duchess...
Unto This Last by Rebecca Lipkin #Review
Unto This Last in certainly a great big brick of a book, but trust me every word of it is solid gold. I've been a fan of Ruskin and the Pre-Raphaelites since my teens and have many other books about their works and lives. Unto This Last is different - it's a...
Today’s the Day! Launch of The Lifeline #WW2 #Fiction
Confession. I have never been to Norway. I have never been to Shetland. Normally I would have done both. When writing and researching a book I like to do as much 'on the ground' research as possible. But this year it just wasn't possible, because of the virus. This...
A Painter in Penang by Clare Flynn #Review
I have read another couple of books by Clare Flynn and always enjoyed them so I looked forward to the chance to read and review this new release. Sixteen year old Jasmine is unhappy with her adopted parents in Kenya, and longs to return to her childhood home of...
Round up of Interviews and podcasts
For those that are looking for news of my books, The Lifeline will be published just into the new year on 5th January. It is already live on Amazon at its special pre-order price. A paperback and audiobook will follow. My new 17th Century novel, The Poison Keeper is...
Excerpt of ‘A Feigned Madness’ by Tonya Mitchell #CoffeePotBookClub
The insane asylum on Blackwell’s Island is a human rat trap. It is easy to get in, but once there it is impossible to get out. —Nellie Bly Elizabeth Cochrane has a secret. She isn’t the madwoman with amnesia the doctors and inmates at Blackwell’s Asylum think she is....