Blog
Publication Day for Pleasing Mr Pepys – Read an extract!
Publication Day Pleasing Mr Pepys I’m delighted to announce that Pleasing Mr Pepys is out today with Accent Press. In years gone by, when there were far less books produced, and all of them physical copies, publishing a book was a much more unique and celebrated...
More than one way to tell a story – The Girl and the Glim
This week sees the launch of not just one, but two books in my family. First to launch this week is 'The Girl and The Glim' - a graphic novella, by Doig and Swift to be launched at the Thought Bubble Festival in Leeds this weekend. Here's a page from the book, which...
Carol McGrath’s ‘The Woman in the Shadows’ – Review
Carol McGrath’s new novel is a wonderful insight into the world of the Tudor merchant class. Elizabeth Williams, a widow who has inherited her husband’s cloth business, meets Thomas Cromwell, at her late husband's funeral. She remembers him as a childhood friend, and...
10 tips for Editing Historical Fiction no.8 ‘Suddenly’
It must be a month ago that I started thinking about writing a blog post on the difficulties of writing about sudden events, which was something highlighted by Hilary Mantel in her Reith Lectures. In the meantime I’ve been on holiday in walking in Wales, and with...
This Deceitful light by Jemahl Evans #HistFic
Having read The Last Roundhead, I didn't think Jemahl Evans could produce a better book, but This Deceitful Light is a tour-de-force. His character Blandford 'Sugar' Candy sits right up there with Rose Tremain's Merivel as one of the great creations of a seventeenth...
Launch Day for Hostage to the Revolution by Diane Scott Lewis #18thC
I'm delighted to welcome Diane Scott Lewis today as she launches her latest book. Diane and I met a few years ago at the Historical Novel Conference in St Petersburg, Florida. Here's Diane to talk about how she was inspired to write Hostage to the Revolution. A few...
Cabinet of Curio-stories – A Viking Slave Collar
Today I welcome Ken Hagan who writes historical fiction set in the age of the Vikings. Here, he explains how an artefact from a museum inspired his story. Dublin was the hub of the Slave Trade in 10th Century Europe For the Norse kings and warrior merchants of Dublin,...
A German powder compact causes trouble in #WW2
Today I welcome author Clare Flynn, who I met at the Historical Novel Conference where we were both helping out stuffing goody bags for all the delegates. Clare is going to talk about how one particular object speaks to the themes in her new WW2 novel, The Chalky Sea....
10 Tips for Editing Historical Fiction. No.7 Detail
When my agent sent off my first manuscript to publishers I had high hopes. Yet it came back with a slew of rejections before it found its publisher. One of the rejections said 'overwhelmed with period detail'. Another said, 'not enough period detail.' Clearly,...
Tuesday Treat – Bargain UK Historical Fiction #99p #TuesdayBookBlog
Found these whilst browsing - Ten fabulous historical reads all at 99p today only plus two of my own young adult novels, also at 99p. Must be something there that appeals to you. Click the books to buy. [gallery size="medium" columns="4"...
Historical Fiction – recent excellent reads #GreatBook
My recent reading. Historical Fiction recommendations. As you know, I read widely, and here are some books which are definitely worth your time. All are beautifully written. Click the title for the UK buy...
Ten Tips for Editing Historical Fiction No.6 Status
Writers of historical fiction are often concerned with the relationships between servants and masters (see this post) because your rank was extremely important in previous centuries. This picture above expresses it well - the servant sees a lot of her mistress's back...
Coffee and History with Annie Whitehead
I was thrilled to discover that one of the historical fiction authors I'd met on facebook, Annie Whitehead, lives very close to me - only a few miles as the crow flies. I couldn't resist the chance to meet up and share our common experiences of writing, editing and...
Two contrasting novels of the 17th century #HistFic
I am always fascinated by the different writing styles that conjure an era, and these two contrasting books prove that there is no one style to bring an era to life. Both books are great reads and I recommend them. Traitor's Knot by Cryssa Bazos This is a wonderful...
Book Club Gold – A year’s free books
I've teamed with 11 other authors to bring you books you will want to talk about. You can download one, or all of the books. Our aim is to provide thought-provoking reads and get people talking, so each book comes with its own set of discussion questions. These books...