The Battle of Hamilton (or Hieton)

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One of the best aspects of being a historical fiction writer is learning about the lesser known events in history. This is often the by-product of our historical research. In some cases, it could be a small footnote that serves as the invitation down the rabbit hole, or it could be that you’re leading your characters into an arena that you need to know more about. My interest in Hamilton came as a result of needing to know what my character, James Hart, was specifically walking into on his journey to join the king in Scotland. Quite a bit, as…

Seventeenth Century Lady: Charles II Scottish Coronation

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I’m pleased to be a guest of the Seventeenth Century Lady with an article I wrote about Charles II’s Scottish coronation. This occurred on January 1, 1651 in the Kirk of Scone. It occurred against the backdrop of Cromwell’s invasion of Scotland and has the distinction of being the last coronation to be held in Scotland. To read the article, click on the link: Charles II’s Scottish Coronation. Featured pictures: Charles II Coronation at Westminster: [By John Michael Wright – http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page92.asp, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons Kirk of Scone (Moot Hill): I, Calgacus [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Palace of…

Author Spotlight: Helen Reynolds

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  It is my great pleasure to introduce to you historical fiction author, Helen Reynolds. Helen not only scores points for writing about the 17th century, she gets bonus points for focusing on the Interregnum. This period of history, between the execution of the King and  the Restoration of the monarchy is dominated by Oliver Cromwell, and is rife with spies and intrigue. Helen’s debut novel CONSPIRATESSA (still yet to be published), is an action adventure about a fledgling female spy who works for the English Resistance to help Charles II reclaim his throne. This is one novel that I can’t…

Highwaymen of the 17th century

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  I do have an obsession for highwaymen, especially the 17th century variety. It’s possibly because the most famous of this collection were closely associated with the English Civil War and had fought for the king. Many soldiers returned from the war to impoverished conditions and some turned to highway robbery. Others continued to war against the enemy on the highway instead of a battlefield; and still others just took advantage of the upheaval to make a ‘living’. Let me introduce to you three of my favourite 17th century highwaymen. Without a doubt, Captain James Hind tops my list. Also…