An Anthology of Authors with Helen Hollick #anthology #althist @HelenHollick

I have the very great pleasure to turn my blog over to Helen Hollick for her Stepping Back into Saxon England book tour stop. Helen is here to talk about anthologies, which are the hottest thing in publishing these days. Her work spans from the Arthur Pendragon era, through the Norman invasion to the Golden Age of Piracy. Today, she’ll be drawing from her experience with the #althist anthology 1066 Turned Upside Down to give us the inside scoop on anthologies–as well as give you a little spoiler. Read on! An Anthology of Authors, by Helen Hollick Would ‘An Anthology…

Inspired by travel: A guest post by Amy Maroney @amymaroneywrites #histfic #research #amreading

February 19, 2020February 15, 2020 Categories: Author SpotlightsTags: Amy Maroney · Caterina van Hemessen · Miramonde series · researching historical fiction · The Girl from Oto · writing tips3 Comments

There’s nothing so exciting to a reader as discovering a new author, especially when that reader is also a writer. Most writers will express frustration at not being able to read the way they used to before the Muse tapped them on the shoulder, uncritically and forgiving. The problem is that we know what’s behind that screen, and it’s hard not to see the seams. But when we do find a book that flows and makes us forget that we’re also writers, that’s magic. This is how I felt when I read Amy Maroney’s The Girl from Oto, the first book…

Pepys’s Passion for the Theatre: A guest post by Deborah Swift #17thcentury #StuartAge

November 26, 2019November 25, 2019 Categories: 17th century · Author Spotlights2 Comments

One of my favourite series in recent years has been Deborah Swift’s Pepys series. Samuel Pepys is a famous 17th century diarist who wrote about his day to day life, his business, and yes, even his sexual indiscretions. Thanks to Pepys, historians have excellent insights into life during Restoration London. Deborah Swift has quite brilliantly written a trio of books based on women mentioned in Pepys’s diary. I loved the first two novels, Pleasing Mr Pepys and A Plague on Mr Pepys, so it was with great anticipation that I looked forward to the final book in the series, Entertaining…

Elizabeth St.John’s Lydiard Chronicles – Written in their Stars #NewRelease #KeepItStuart #StuartAge @ElizStJohn

November 19, 2019November 21, 2019 Categories: Author SpotlightsTags: Anne Wilmot · Elizabeth St. John · Frances Apsley · Lucy Hutchinson · Lydiard Chronicles · Lydiard Park · Shadow Court · Written in their Stars3 Comments

It is my very great pleasure to welcome Elizabeth St. John today on the blog to talk about her latest novel, Written in their Stars, the third and final instalment of the Lydiard Chronicles about three dynamic women: a spymistress, a rebel and a courtier. Liz and I share a love of the 17th century and the War of the Three Kingdoms. She has a unique insight into this turbulent time as she writes about her famous ancestors who had a ringside seat to the troubles and often found themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. Without further ado, welcome…

Welcome to the Dark Ages and the Land of King Arthur: Guest post by Mary Anne Yarde @maryanneyarde

August 17, 2018August 19, 2019 Categories: Author Spotlights · Guest Blog · historical fictionTags: Arthurian fiction · Dark Ages · Du Lac Chronicles · historical fiction · King Arthur · Was King Arthur real · Who was King Arthur8 Comments

If I wasn’t writing about the 17th century, I would be exploring the time of King Arthur. I’ve been drawn to the Arthurian legends for as far back as I can remember in all their variations. Today, I have the pleasure of welcoming to the blog an author whose historical fiction novels are inspired by the old Arthurian legends. Mary Anne Yarde is the author of the Du Lac Chronicles series, which is set in the turbulent era after the death of King Arthur. Mary Anne combines my favourite elements in her novels: historical fiction with romance and adventure. Including…