work in progress Wednesday
Title: Battle Scars: Men of the Cross Current word count 86,895 Per my blog post last week, BS:MotC was shipped to editors. I read 2 new scenes from the novel to my writers group last week. I touched...
View Articlethere’s a light side and a dark side…
Light side, dark side. That’s what they say about duct tape, right? (And the Force if you’re a Star Wars fan.) This post isn’t about duct tape, though I suppose you could think of the threads of duct...
View Articlein search of…the facts (for my fiction)
Location: Wallingford Castle Date: March/April 1193 I’ve been on a fact-finding mission. Maybe you can help. Battle Scars II: For King and Country opens shortly after the events of the final chapter of...
View ArticleBaronial estates & my novel in 12th century England
I was up early this morning. Too early. My favorite coffee hangout doesn’t open until 7am on Sundays. I almost called for the Zombie Response Team.¹ No coffee and I feel like a zombie! I tried to...
View Articlerandom moments in a life…
LIFE I have a new roof! Here’s hoping the water leak from the chimney is a thing of the past. Next up: replacing warped flooring and checking for further damage inside the house. Oh the joys of...
View Articlevisual inspiration and the writer
As someone who grew up with television, visuals have always been important to me. Can’t you get a sense of time, of place, from those period dramas? Translating that to paper – or to computer screen –...
View Articlefifty shades of…12th century England
Forgive the “fifty shades” reference. I almost called this “fifty shades of de Grey” – de Grey being the surname of main character Sir Henry in Men of the Cross, but I thought better of it. :) I’ve...
View ArticleFaced with a scene that just isn’t working? What’s a writer to do?
Battle Scars Book 2, For King and Country, centers on events in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire from April 1193 until Richard the Lionheart’s return from captivity and the subsequent siege of...
View ArticleReading non-fiction for my fiction…
It was great to read Patricia Bracewell’s articles on early Roman roads in England on English Historical Fiction Authors (EHFA) – very timely given that in the upcoming sequel to Men of the Cross,...
View ArticleThird Crusade history – 4 October 1190 – the capture of Messina
On their way to the Holy Land after the fall of Jerusalem to Salah al-Dīn, Christian armies gathered in Messina, Sicily. Today, I am guest posting on English Historical Fiction Authors about the...
View ArticleWriting update… For King and Country, book 2 of Battle Scars
Last week, three friends said they hadn’t seen my news about the post I did on English Historical Fiction Authors, or that I was interviewing a best-selling novelist. “I don’t have a Facebook account.”...
View Articletalking about the book: Devil’s Brood
Title: Devil’s Brood Author: Sharon Kay Penman A tidbit about the author One-time tax lawyer. An animal rights enthusiast. Supporter of gay rights. Penman is a best-selling novelist known for her...
View ArticleInterview with author E.M. Powell
E.M. Powell’s novels have been described as “car chases with chainmail.” With that tagline, you know you’ll be in for a wild ride. I am delighted to welcome E.M. to my blog today. She writes historical...
View ArticleMedieval man, sex, and mortal sin in Men of the Cross
A friend recently asked, “Why did you choose to write this story?” It’s a common question for writers. Many writers pen what they’d like to read. There is something inside our brains that drives an...
View ArticleAn Interview of Me on Helena P. Schrader’s Blog!
Novelist and historian Helena Schrader, author of Knight of Jerusalem, interviews yours truly. I hope you’ll check it out....
View ArticleTuesday Teaser: Men of the Cross
I hope you enjoy this snippet from Men of the Cross. I don’t think it needs any set-up. ============== THE WINDSWEPT CLIFF STOOD like a lone sentinel guarding a gate. The horses pawed the ground...
View ArticleTalking about the book: The Fifth Knight by E.M. Powell
Title: The Fifth Knight Author: E.M. Powell A tidbit about the author E.M. is from Ireland, but currently lives in northwest England. Her debut novel, The Fifth Knight, was an Amazon #1 bestseller. She...
View ArticleYork Castle in the 12th century
Somewhere in the midst of plotting Book II of Battle Scars, For King and Country, I had a brilliant idea: Stephan l’Aigle must deliver a message to the Sheriff of York. If you’ve been to York, you’ll...
View ArticleWriting update and a snippet from For King and Country
Title: For King and Country (Battle Scars II) Current word count: 141,122 words Revisions: I am at the 116,444 word mark in my 2nd round of editing the manuscript. A few weeks ago, I teased 3 readers...
View Article12th century gems
“…there is none of the above stock [i.e., livestock] there now except for the 2 plough-teams. John, the clerk, who was at that time Thomas fitz Bernard’s steward, transferred 40 hoggets [i.e.,...
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