Death of a Dorset Hero :

February 10, 2015August 18, 2019 Categories: 17th century · Author SpotlightsLeave a comment

Originally posted on The Crabchurch Conspiracy:
370 years ago on this night, in February 1645, Dorset lost a hero ….. A man so true, so courageous, that his enemies genuinely lived in mortal fear of him. Major Francis Sydenham, brother of the governor of Weymouth & Melcombe, Colonel William Sydenham, was at rest in his billet in Weymouth when one of two audacious Royalist attacks upon the main forts of the parliamentarian garrison took place at the Chapel Fort of St Nicholas, an old 14th century church which the ‘Roundheads had fortified and which strategically controlled the towns and quaysides…

The Execution of Charles I

January 30, 2015August 18, 2019 Categories: 17th centuryTags: Charles Stuart · The Banqueting House6 Comments

Today is the anniversary of the execution of King Charles I. I have ambivalent thoughts about this. To a degree, I feel some sentimentality, though this is fuelled by the romance of Alexandre Dumas’s novel Twenty Years After when two of the musketeers, Athos and Aramis, were sent to rescue the King. It was my first introduction to the English Civil War, and the scene made a lasting impression on me—blood dripping between the gaps in the scaffold, landing on Athos who had been moments away from spiriting the King away. But that was fiction. On one hand, Charles I was stubborn…

370th Anniversary of the Crabchurch Conspiracy

January 24, 2015August 19, 2019 Categories: Author Spotlights · NewsTags: Crabchurch Conspiracy · English Civil War3 Comments

In February 1645, a battle was fought between Parliament and Royalists over the strategic seaports of Weymouth and Melcombe in Dorset. The event is known as the Crabchurch Conspiracy. To commemorate the 370th anniversary of Parliament’s victory, on Saturday February 28th a concert will be held in Weymouth, featuring live music by the Dolmen and readings by the eminent historian Professor Ronald Hutton and Jane McKell, actress and founding director of AsOne. The event is organized by Mark Vine, historian and author of the Crabchurch Conspiracy. If you’re in the Dorset area and are interested in the English Civil War and excellent…

The Fifth Monarchists

January 16, 2015August 19, 2019 Categories: 17th centuryTags: English Civil War · Fifth Monarchists3 Comments

Once upon a time, in a world turned upside down, a fanatical Puritan faction known as the Fifth Monarchists tried to create a godly society… Today I’m visiting the English Historical Fiction Authors with the Fifth Monarchists. Join me in a trip to 1651 England. It’s not all daffodils and roses.

#1LineWed

January 14, 2015August 19, 2019 Categories: Creativity · Traitor's KnotTags: fiction excerptLeave a comment

The highlight of my week is participating in #1LineWed. For those who’ve never heard of this hashtag, this event is sponsored by the RWA Kiss of Death Chapter (gotta love the name!). #1LineWed gives all writers the opportunity to share (in 140 characters or less) lines from their WIP. Every week, there’s a new prompt and a new challenge to somehow condense your sweat and blood in so few characters. It’s an excellent way to force yourself to self-edit. It’s also a great place to connect with wonderful writers, and I do look forward to reading their tweets. This week, the…