Blog
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Writing Medieval Lincoln -Lincoln Cathedral
I am standing at the top of the observatory tower of Lincoln Castle eyeing the streets of Lincoln and the magnificent Cathedral. What a fine setting for a novel, don’t you think? Yes, so did I, which is how Sir Stephan l’Aigle ends up in Lincoln in 1193 in For King and Country. But, the…
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A Young Earl, A Bad Marriage
Some medieval arranged marriages were successful: Edward III & Philippa; William Marshal and Isabel de Clare. Love blossomed between couples brought together for political or business alliances. Last week on English Historical Fiction Authors I shared the story of a not-so-happily-ever-after. Constance of Brittany, the widow of Henry II’s son, married Ranulf de Blundeville, 6th earl of…
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My visit to Nottingham Castle
As part of my travels in September, I was able to return to Nottingham for a half day adventure to explore the Castle. I set several scenes of For King and Country there, so you can imagine how exciting it was for me to have an opportunity to see it from the perspective of someone with research interests…
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Visiting with author Helena Schrader about my novel For King and Country
Join me on Helena Schrader’s blog today as we talk about For King and Country. I “met” Helena virtually when Battle Scars I, Men of the Cross, was published and Helena was writing her trilogy on Balian d’Ibelin covering the years prior to the Third Crusade. Our common interests in that time period led…
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B.R.A.G. Medallion awarded to For King and Country
Thank you, indieBRAG! I am thrilled For King and Country has been awarded the B.R.A.G. Medallion. B.R.A.G. is the Book Readers Appreciation Group. Indie-published books are put through a tough review process. As indieBRAG notes on their website: This entails an initial screening to ensure that the author’s work meets certain minimum standards of quality and…
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Author Interview: Helena P. Schrader
“..Jerusalem was lost. The site of Christ’s Passion. The home of the Holy Sepulcher. Lost. What was there left to fight for?”–Envoy of Jerusalem It is the year 1187. Saladin has crushed Christian forces at the Battle of Hattin and secured almost every city in the Kingdom of Jerusalem for his own, including Jerusalem. Author…
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Special sale – For King and Country
July 6 – 8 Get For King and Country for $2.99/£1.99 (ebook) See what the reviewers are saying: “The history is sharp, the action appropriately bloody, the passion undeniable.”—Christopher Monk (aka researcher/consultant and The Anglo-Saxon Monk) “With a blistering siege scene, daring escapes and a truly dastardly villain there is something for everyone here.”—thurinius (aka…
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Chancellor, justiciar, and papal legate William Longchamp – my guest post on #EHFA
To his contemporaries, William Longchamp became “a man with three titles and three heads,” exercising power as justiciar, chancellor, and papal legate. His critics claim he was greedy, ambitious, and unscrupulous. Learn more about the man Richard the Lionheart left to attend to the business of his kingdom in my guest post on English Historical…