Song of the Siren starts off an exciting new series Songs of Steppe & Forest by author C.P. Lesley. It takes us deep into Eastern Europe during the middle part of the 16th century. It was a century that saw the reign of some of the most fearsome and consequential monarchs in history, from Henry VIII to... Continue Reading →
Bringing a Historical Series about the Lesser Known Tudors to Life
Guest post by Tony Riches It all began with my research for a novel about the life of Henry Tudor, who like me was born in the Welsh town of Pembroke. I collected more than enough material for a substantial book – and discovered there were no novels about his amazing story. I think this... Continue Reading →
Munich by Robert Harris
My own writing and research take me back to the Middle Ages and, more recently, the 16th century Eastern Europe. So it is refreshing to come across historical fiction that is much closer to our own times, and set in the period that I am also quite interested in but do not know as much... Continue Reading →
The Cloister by James Carroll
On a rainy day in November 1950, Father Michael Kavanagh seeks refuge in New York's famed Cloisters Museum of medieval art at the northern tip of Manhattan. There he meets a mysterious woman who turns out to be a Jewish historian and Holocaust survivor. One of the few possessions she managed to salvage from the ravages of... Continue Reading →
Excerpt from The Column of Burning Spices (Hildegard of Bingen #2)
Chapter 25 Ingelheim, May 1154 Volmar presented the letter of invitation stamped with the royal seal to a guard. We were ushered through an arched tunnel into the inner courtyard, where brightly-dressed courtiers and clerics in dark lawyers’ robes came and went between the buildings ranged along the perimeter. I noted signs of both greatness... Continue Reading →
Moonlight Dancer Showcases The Power of a Woman
Guest post by Deb Atwood I was a kid. We stood—my mother, father, and I—in front of our washing machine, which had ceased to function. With one deft movement, my mother lifted the top of the machine. My dad stared, open-mouthed. Then he turned to me, grinned, and said, “Never underestimate the power of a... Continue Reading →
A Different Kind of Fire: Nudity and the Fig Leaf
Guest post by Suanne Schafer When I started writing A Different Kind of Fire, set in the late Victorian era, I found it somewhat difficult to recreate a time before E.L. James’s Fifty Shades of Grey appeared in popular culture. My protagonist, Ruby Schmidt, was a young Texas girl. Raised on a ranch, she had... Continue Reading →
Notes from Boston Book Festival 2018 (Sessions on the Craft of Writing Novels)
This past weekend, my favorite Boston event took place in Copley Square, namely the 10th annual Boston Book Festival. It brought together authors, writers, speakers, journalists, and readers for a celebration of new books in a variety of genres, from adult and children's fiction to memoir to public affairs. Each year, it features debut authors... Continue Reading →
Abigale Hall by Lauren Forry
In the wake of World War II, orphaned London siblings Eliza and Rebecca must live with their Aunt Bess, the only other family survivor. But Aunt Bess is not a very affectionate woman, and she is also deep in gambling debts. Thus begins the gothic suspense novel Abigale Hall by Lauren Forry. One day the... Continue Reading →