Highwaymen of the 17th century

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…

The Dreaded Bio

March 16, 2017August 19, 2019 Categories: WritingTags: Endeavour · Highwayman · historical romance · Romantic fiction · Traitor's Knot · Writing a bio · Writing a blurb · Writing a synopsis9 Comments

My publisher, Endeavour, needs a bio from me. For civilians, that is what we call a biography; for writers, it’s the 3rd worst painful exercise to subject a writer to. The undisputed most painful exercise, of course, is the synopsis. Cue the deep-throat narrator. One woman…one natural disaster…one hour to live… can she survive? Writing a synopsis is the equivalent of facing screaming legions of Hell during the Apocalypse. Do you have any idea on how hard it is to boil your full length novel down to a one or two page synopsis and not make it sound like, “and then…

The Royalist Highwayman

November 9, 2015November 19, 2020 Categories: 17th centuryTags: 17th century · Battle of Worcester · English Historical Fiction Authors · Featured · Highwayman · James HInd · Royalist highwayman7 Comments

One of the 17th century’s most infamous highwayman is Captain James Hind. Broadsheets were written about his exploits and he became a folk legend in his day which continued on after his death. Most was fiction, but all of it was highly entertaining. Not only was Captain Hind a staunch Royalist, he was quick with his wits, avoided violence whenever he could, was celebrated for his courtesy, and he had a reputation for being a Robin Hood character. It should be no surprise that he was the initial inspiration for my highwayman. Who was Captain Hind really? His exploits were…

Traitor’s Knot: Part 2

July 14, 2015August 17, 2019 Categories: Traitor's KnotTags: book trailer · Crabchurch Conspiracy · healer · Highwayman · romance · Traitor's KnotLeave a comment

Here we are finally with the release of the last instalment of the book trailer for Traitor’s Knot, Part 2. This is all about Elizabeth Seton, a gifted healer who has uprooted herself from Weymouth to live with her aunt in Warwick. In the course of trying to rebuild her life and salvage what she could after the war, she is drawn into intrigue and forbidden love. I hope you enjoy the video. If you’ve missed Traitor’s Knot Part I, click here or check out Videos.

Book trailer: Traitor’s Knot Part 1

July 10, 2015August 19, 2019 Categories: Traitor's KnotTags: book trailer · Highwayman · James Hart · Traitor's Knot8 Comments

It’s launch day, everyone! I’m pleased to finally release the first part of my book trailer. Thank you to everyone who helped spread the news. When I started thinking about a book trailer, I immediately knew that I wanted to create a series. Since the story is told through two characters, James Hart and Elizabeth Seton, it’s only fair that each gets their own trailer. Warning: This book trailer is rated “PR” (Pro-Royalist). Traitor’s Knot Part 1: On January 30, 1649, King Charles I was executed by Parliament. Moderate MP’s against the proceedings were purged from Parliament and prevented from casting their…