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…

An Alternative Historical Tale

Alternative historical fiction has become a growing interest of mine. Every fiction writer, at one time, will ask themselves, ‘what if’, but what sets apart alternative fiction is that it takes this question one step further, exploring new trajectories for the world that might have been. The possibilities are only limited to the author’s imagination, and they do make you look at historical events in a new light. When I hear alternative historical fiction, I immediately think of the acclaimed Roma Nova series and its architect, Alison Morton. The series is an alternative historical thriller, based on the premise that instead…

Because it happened: How not to write historical fiction

When I started writing the first dirty draft of Traitor’s Knot, I was so focused on the details of the events, that I often neglected the human reaction to the drama. It’s understandable given that there is so much pressure to get the historical facts nailed. Historical fiction writers have the advantage of knowing what happened to their subjects, but sometimes that knowledge blunts the suspense. This doesn’t seem to be a problem for other genres, with perhaps the exception of memoire. Science fiction and fantasy–your imagination defines what or what doesn’t happen. Contemporary or romance, ditto. Thrillers? You guys are…

Spotlight: 1066 Turned Upside Down (Part 1)

Have you ever wondered ‘what if’ history turned out a little differently? What if  John F. Kennedy wasn’t shot; what if Charles II had a legitimate heir? Historical fiction authors have a great deal of respect for what actually happened in history and will undertake years of research to ensure they get it right. But once in a while, it’s fun to let the imagination loose and contemplate an alternate reality. This is what an illustrious group of historical fiction authors did. In honour of the upcoming 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, when King Harold of England was defeated by William the…