Author of Historical Fiction and Mysteries
Excerpt from Silent Water, Jagiellon Mystery #1 It was a court tradition to hold sanna—a sleigh ride along the river to the royal hunting lodge in Niepołomice—on the day before New Year’s Eve. It was the unofficial beginning of that celebration, but in the year 1519, it almost did not happen. For days it had... Continue Reading →
Excerpt from Silent Water, Jagiellon Mystery #1 Finally, we moved, leaving behind the slanted roofs of the city with their gleaming red tiles. The stone walls of the castle seemed brighter in the sunlight, almost as white as the surrounding snow. The village of Niepołomice lies four leagues east of Kraków, and the journey took... Continue Reading →
The Giordano Bruno historical mystery series by S.J. Parris is one of my favorite, and part five, Conspiracy, does not disappoint. Set in Paris in the fall of 1585, it sees Bruno return to Paris after his latest adventure helping quash a plot against Queen Elizabeth in London. The philosopher is in search of a quiet life and... Continue Reading →
Those of you who follow this blog, my Twitter account, or my writing will know that I have long advocated for expanding the scope of European historical fiction beyond the focus on England, France, and Italy. The book that I am going to review today is among the few that does just that. Push Not... Continue Reading →
Excerpt from Silent Water, Jagiellon Mystery #1 After some moments, the surprise melted from his face, and his gaze turned inward. He stroked his chin silently, and there was a sadness about him that I had not seen before. He was revisiting something painful from the past. “My father was a knight, a soldier, who... Continue Reading →
In late September, I spent four days visiting London. It is impossible to even scratch the surface of all the historical sites that can be found in Britain's capital, so I had to choose. After a brief visit to St. Paul's Cathedral and (the outside of) Westminster Abbey, I decided to spend the entire day... Continue Reading →
Guest Post by Tony Riches Charles Brandon, Tudor knight and best friend of King Henry VIII, is best known for secretly marrying Mary Tudor, the king’s sister – without Henry’s permission! Less well known is his last marriage, to Lady Katherine Willoughby. I’ve just completed two years of work researching and writing my latest book,... Continue Reading →
I have been reading back issues of Writer's Digest and found an astonishing article in the March/April 2019 issue. "Page Master" by Laura Zats talks about reasons manuscripts are rejected by agents. This potentially interesting article was unfortunately greatly disappointing. Let me explain. I was hoping for a fresh and insightful look into the confusing... Continue Reading →
An elegant retelling of the legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Spellbook of Katrina van Tassel is an enjoyable read, especially as the autumn draws near and we enter the Halloween season. The novel recreates the whirlwind courtship of wealthy heiress of Dutch descent Katrina van Tassel and Ichabod Crane, a newly arrived schoolteacher in reduced circumstances. Fearing... Continue Reading →
