I met Therese Hicks through my newsletter as she shares an interest in 17th century Irish history. Therese is a historian who has been researching an Irish family, the Kennedys, with what started as local history. She soon realized that the Kennedys were more than that. The family survived, in fact prospered, during some of the most tumultuous periods of Irish history.
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…
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!…
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.
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…
Cryssa Bazos 