Blog
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Pirates, shipwreck, and the capture of a king . . . December 1192
On this anniversary of the surrender of Richard the Lionheart to Duke Leopold of Austria on December 20 (or the 21st), I thought I would take a look at the events in the Fall of 1192 and other historical background leading up to that day. The Third Crusade ended with a truce in September. King Richard set sail…
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12%, holiday book sales, and Hale
For King and Country(Battle Scars II)Revisions round 2 are underway. I’ve rewritten chapter 1 twice. Writers group thinks I’m on the right track. I’m sure I’ll revisit the opening scene, but I’ve moved ahead. 12% complete. Even as I revise I continue to explore additional non-fiction for my research needs. Helena Schrader was kind enough to…
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An 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. ><><>><><><><><>><><><> My novel, Men of the Cross, was designated a B.R.A.G. medallion honoree in November 2014. It is available in print and for Kindle on Amazon sites worldwide.
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Men of the Cross – a B.R.A.G. Medallion honoree!
I am thrilled to share this exciting news with you! Men of the Cross has been awarded a B.R.A.G. Medallion! Can you say ‘awesome’? When the email arrived from indieBRAG president Geri Clouston I stared at the subject line “The B.R.A.G. Medallion.” My heart went through the roof. I had to read the email 5 times before…
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Is the world ready for another Robin Hood tale?
Authors Steven A. McKay and Angus Donald have huge successes with their recent novels exploring new tales of Robin Hood. McKay’s Forest Lord series features Robin in 14th century England. He’s a Yorkshire lad – not of noble birth – during the tumultuous reign of Edward II. Donald writes a 12th century Mafia-style Robin in his Outlaw Chronicles.…
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Faced 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 Nottingham Castle in 1194. I am about 2/3rds through edits on my first draft, and approaching a mini-climax that I have been stewing over for weeks.…
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Feeling war through a character’s eyes
Let me take you to Outremer with the knights of Richard the Lionheart… The term PTSD – post-traumatic stress syndrome – was given its name in the 1970s during the Vietnam conflict. Shakespeare has a scene in Henry IV, Part 2¹ (written in 1597) that describes it, though generations have ignored or glossed over it for…