Blog
Of Ink, Wit and Intrigue – The Life of the Earl of Rochester #Stuart
I'm delighted to welcome Susan Cooper-Bridgewater to my blog today to talk about her novel about John Wilmot the second Earl of Rochester - one of the rakes and rogues of Restoration London that I am fascinated by, and wrote about here. Welcome Sue! John Wilmot, the...
The Outlaw’s Ransom – the romance of Robin Hood
I'm thrilled to welcome Jennifer Ash to my website today to talk about her new novella, The Outlaw's Ransom. Here's a description of the book: When craftsman’s daughter Mathilda is kidnapped by the notorious Folville brothers, as punishment for her father’s...
Love and Resistance in WW2 Germany
I'm delighted to welcome Marion Kummerow to my blog to tell us about her series of books based on the true story of her grandparents. Deborah: I'm interested to know more about your grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi...
Historical Fiction: Ten Editing Tools. No 5 – Foreshadowing
As a historical fiction writer, I often want to include major events in history, and usually these are the 'real' history that inspired the book. By 'major', I don't necessarily mean big battles, (though the Battle of Worcester forms at least one set piece for me) but...
Three great books on The Great Fire of London
Rebecca Rideal - 1666 Plague, War and Hellfire For most of my research books I prefer hard copy, and this is a brilliantly and evocatively written hardback, beautifully produced. Here's are some of the the opening sentences to whet your appetite: 'Pale winter sun...
Launch of Shadow on the Highway with Endeavour Ink
Congratulations to all the authors whose books are the first books to be published by Endeavour Press in print. Wishing the imprint and all the authors much success. Reblogged from the Endeavour Press website: On the evening of March 15th Endeavour Press officially...
Historical Fiction : 10 Editing tools. No.4 – Themes & Threads
One of the most useful things I can do when I have finished a first draft is to examine the themes and the characters and follow their threads. Sometimes a character and a thread can be the same - at the moment I am looking at 'ambition', which is both part of Bess...
Happy New Year to all my followers and readers
2017 is here already and, like most writers, the view from my desktop hardly changes. This Christmas I was able to get out into the fresh air, smell the frost in the atmosphere, and admire the lovely village where I live (and which I too often forget is there). Below...
From Cinderella to Dorothy, the power of shoes to transform
Everyone has a favourite pair of shoes. For me it is a pair of shoes I got married in - black patent with black and white spotted bows on the front. I know, they may not be to your taste, but shoes are very individual things! You can tell a lot about a person, or a...
Young Adult Historical Fiction – an adult’s view
I was recently asked to give a talk at a conference about Teen and Young Adult historical fiction, and time being short, we didn't get onto one of the most pertinent discussions about Young Adult historical fiction, which is, what exactly is a young adult? And when do...
Historical Fiction – 10 Editing Tools. No 3 – The Sound of Time
In most of my novels the passing of time is something that is hard to convey in an era when nobody wore a watch, nobody had a mobile phone, and ways of telling the time were by sundial, candle calendar, or by listening out for church bells. Something that is really...
Historical Fiction – Ten Editing Tools. No 2: Truth
When I am writing my first few drafts my main concern is to get the story out there, and for that reason at the beginning I tend to write in broad brushstrokes. This is especially true in the dialogue when things are getting tense, and I just want to progress the...
Nettle Shirts and Cunning Women – herbal secrets of 17th century England
I have loved researching 17th Century botany and herbs for my novels, The Lady’s Slipper and The Gilded Lily. For both of them I have had to research the botanical beliefs of a society that relied on native plants for a good many things, including medicine, cleaning...
Five Novels of The English Civil War
My recommended read for this week is The Last Roundhead by Jemahl Evans. This is a one-off - you will read nothing else like it. Meticulously researched, this is the story of one man's journey through the battles of the English Civil War. If you want to know what it...
A Seventeenth Century Quaker Character
One of the main characters in The Lady’s Slipper which has just been re-released, is Richard Wheeler. Like all my favourite characters he is determined, strong and capable, but unlike most other heroes when the novel opens he has just become a “seeker after Truth” or...