Author Spotlight: Anna Belfrage

Continuing my conversation with the contributors of the Historical Novel Society’s anthology, Distant Echoes, I’ve invited author Anna Belfrage to chat about her short story, “The Sharing of a Husband“. Anna has somehow managed to tap into the magic elixir of being a literary powerhouse. She is the author of the critically acclaimed Graham Saga (8 books and counting), the King’s Greatest Enemy series, has been involved in four anthologies, and maintains a regular blog. Her short story, “The Sharing of a Husband”, portrays a woman in Utah who is forced to accept the introduction of polygamy by church decree…

Author Spotlight: Richard Buxton

October 10, 2017August 19, 2019 Categories: Author SpotlightsTags: Cades Cove · Distant Echoes · Disunion · historical fiction · historical fiction anthology · Richard Buxton · Whirligig9 Comments

I first “bumped” into historical fiction author Richard Buxton on the blog tour circuit. His novel, Whirligig, came out around the time as mine and, coincidentally, both novels dealt with civil war, though his tackled the American Civil War. I found it ironic that we were both interested in the war across the pond instead of the one closest to home. In my case, it would be my neighbour’s war, but still close enough. When the Historical Novel Society (HNS) anthology, Distant Echoes, came out, I recognized Richard’s name amongst the contributors, and I was keen to finally read his…

Historical Perspective and the Modern Audience

August 29, 2017August 19, 2019 Categories: WritingTags: A Writer of History · Cryssa Bazos · historical fiction · historical perspective · historical perspective and the modern audience · M.K Tod · Traitor's Knot4 Comments

Writing historical fiction requires balancing the historical sensibilities (speech, culture, customs) for the modern reader. Today, I’m a guest on Mary Tod’s award winning blog, A Writer of History, where I discuss how to do it and why it’s important. Click here for the article. If you’re interested in getting an insight into all aspects of historical fiction, I highly recommend Mary’s blog. There are many fascinating articles.

Because it happened: How not to write historical fiction

July 26, 2017August 19, 2019 Categories: WritingTags: Alternative history · Charles Stuart · Featured · Fugitive King · historical fiction · historical fiction writing tips · King Charles II · Traitor's Knot · writing tips9 Comments

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…

The Countess of Carlisle

July 19, 2017August 19, 2019 Categories: 17th centuryTags: 17th century · 17th century social life · Countess of Carlisle · English Civil War · Featured · historical fiction · Milady de Winter · Three Musketeers5 Comments

This article was originally posted on the English Historical Fiction Authors (EHFA) site on May 4th, 2017. For more in-depth articles on British history, visit the EHFA. You won’t be disappointed. One of the most intriguing characters in historical fiction is Milady de Winter of the Three Musketeers. Alexandre Dumas depicted her as a lethal spy whose loyalties were sold to the highest bidder, notably the Cardinal Richelieu. The inspiration for Milady was a socialite and renowned beauty of her day, Lucy Hay, Countess of Carlisle. Though Lucy was not an agent of Cardinal Richelieu, she held court at a…