Charlene Newcomb

Blog

  • 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 nervously. Henry stared across the darkened valley. Lights glimmered on the horizon to the east like a thousand torches guiding…

  • 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.  

  • Medieval 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 idea that we must bring to life. Of course, I knew what my friend really meant: Why did I decide…

  • Interview 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 fiction with a mystery/thriller twist. Her current series is set in 12th century England. E.M., congratulations on the upcoming release of The…

  • talking about the book: Devil’s Brood

    Title: Devil’s Brood Author: Sharon Kay Penman A tidbit about the authorOne-time tax lawyer. An animal rights enthusiast. Supporter of gay rights. Penman is a best-selling novelist known for her meticulous research. She has written 13 books. Her first, The Sunne in Splendour, published in 1982, is a novel of Richard III (whose bones, you’ll recall,…

  • Writing 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.” “I don’t see your posts in my Facebook Newsfeed.” Social media can be hit or miss, and I often think that there’s a…

  • Third 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 political background, intrigue, and events that led to Messina’s capture by Richard the Lionheart. Many thanks to Debra Brown for inviting me to…

  • Reading 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, Henry de Grey’s fictional manor lies about one mile west of Ermine Street in Lincolnshire. It was also heartening to see…

  • 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.…