The Worshipful Company of Stationers: the original gatekeepers of publishing

As an author, I’m naturally drawn to any information about the publishing industry. Today, publishing seems to have been in a state of flux. The number of publishing houses has continued to decrease, leaving (now) four major publishers. This has caused people to worry about decreased competition and higher barriers for authors to getting a publishing contract. One fear is that our available reading will be down to only select voices and fewer publishers will be willing to take a risk on creativity. On the other hand, indie publishing has never been so strong and may offer a needed counterbalance…

The Trouble with a Series – guest post by @HelenHollick #HistoricalFiction

November 15, 2022October 30, 2022 Categories: 17th century6 Comments

It’s a really good day when I have the opportunity to host historical fiction author and Indie champion Helen Hollick on my blog, and even better day when she releases a new instalment of the Sea Witch series! I’m a huge fan of these books featuring bad-boy pirate Captain Jesamiah Acorne and his wife, White Witch Tiola. I’ve been haranguing Helen for some time now for another Sea Witch instalment and I’m happy to report that Gallows Wake was worth the wait! Today, Helen is here to discuss the challenges with writing a series. Welcome, Helen, and over to you!…

Detail of the cover for The Godmother's Secret

The Godmother’s Secret: Guest post by Elizabeth St. John and excerpt

October 5, 2022October 10, 2022 Categories: 17th century · Author Spotlights · historical fiction · Novel excerptTags: Best of historical fiction in 2022 · Elizabeth St. John · Richard III · Succession of the Monarchy · Succession of the monarchy in historical fiction · The Godmother's Secret · The Princes in the Tower · War of the Roses in Fiction · Westminster Abbey · What happened to the Princes in the Tower · Who Killed the Princess in the Tower4 Comments

In the past, it has been a privilege to host historical fiction author Elizabeth St. John on my website, and I’m delighted to welcome her back again. Elizabeth shares a passion for the 17th century and the Stuart Age, and her novels are all gleaned from the vaults of her illustrious family’s history. Her ancestors were at the centre of events during tumultuous times, and she offers a unique perspective in her novel.

Early Modern Women protesting with vim and vinegar

April 20, 2022April 17, 2022 Categories: 17th centuryTags: Early Modern Women · Interregnum protests · Levellers · Pamphleteering by women · Pamphleteering in the Early Modern Era · Women Protesting in Early Modern England8 Comments

I am on the <research> road again. I love the moment of researching for a new book, which will be my fourth. The title shall remain nameless for now. I have learned that if I publicly announce the title, something invariably will arise that would leave me no choice other than to change the title (Writer Murphy’s Law No. 10*), and I really like The Book That Should Not Be Named. [*Side Note: This is why writers use shorthand and just refer to the project as WIP, in case you’re wondering.] But I digress . . . already. But then…

Inspired to write an Irish rebel story

February 22, 2022February 21, 2022 Categories: 17th centuryTags: Éamonn Ó Riain · the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland · The Pogues · Young Ned of the HillLeave a comment

It all started with a song. Music inspires my creative Muse, and the writing doesn’t entirely flow until I’ve settled on a soundtrack. This time, however, it wasn’t a soundtrack that got me dreaming of characters and the story that would become Rebel’s Knot. It was one particular song.