Pam Lecky's Blog, page 24

Penny Dreadfuls – Only a Bit of Fun?

If you enjoyed a good old execution in the 18th or early 19th century, it was possible to buy a crime broadside at the hanging which was produced by specialist printers. These would feature a crude picture of the crime and the culprit, a written account of the crime and trial proceedings and a doggerel, thrown in for good measure. Most of the poor could not read but they enjoyed the lurid pictures, and there was always someone on hand to read out the cautionary poem.

[image error]During the Victorian era, however, literacy rates increased. Combined with technological advances in printing and the advent of the railways making wide-spread distribution viable, the demand for cheap, entertaining reading matter increased rapidly. This led to the first penny serials (originally called penny bloods) being published in the 1830s, and by 1850, there were over 100 publishers of penny-fiction. The penny dreadfuls were printed on cheap wood pulp paper and were predominantly aimed at young working class men and boys. They usually had eight pages with black and white illustrations on the top half of the front page. Working-class readers could afford these and they did a roaring trade. In contrast, serialised novels at the time, such as Dickens’ work, cost a shilling (12 pennies) per part and were out of the reach, therefore, of most working class readers.

The subject matter of the penny horrible, penny awful or penny blood was always sensational, usually featuring detectives, criminals or supernatural entitles. Popular characters included Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber, first printed in 1846, who murdered his clients so his neighbour, Mrs Lovett, could cook them in her meat pies. Then there was the endless retelling of Dick Turpin’s exploits and his supposed 200 [image error]mile ride from London to York in one night! Supernatural characters, such as Varney the Vampire were extremely popular. But the most successful of all time was the Mysteries of London, first published in 1844. It ran for 12 years, 624 numbers (or issues) and nearly 4.5 million words.

Many famous authors began their writing careers writing penny dreadfuls including, GA Sala and Mary Elizabeth Braddon. She reputedly said “the amount of crime, treachery, murder and slow poisoning, and general infamy required by my readers is something terrible.” Many authors took the melodrama of the dreadful and infused it into their later very successful novels.

When highwaymen and evil aristocrats fell out of fashion, true crime, especially murder, was the most popular. These were then overtaken in the popularity stakes by detective stories with the focus on the police rather than the criminal. By the 1860s, the focus changed again and children became the main target audience.

It was easy for the middle and upper classes to look down on the penny dreadfuls as cheap, sensational nonsense. Some even went to far as to blame them for infamous crimes and suicide. But I suspect many read them surreptitiously – for who doesn’t enjoy a good yarn now and then?

In No Stone Unturned, Lucy’s maid, Mary, is huge fan of the penny dreadfuls and cheap sensational novels. Lucy, feeling obliged to look out for her maid’s moral welfare (so she claims!), often reads these books and thoroughly enjoys them, too. When the women’s lives are in danger, Mary comes to the fore with her penchant for intrigue and spying. Lucy suspects Mary’s favourite reading material may be at the root of it.

No Stone Unturned is the first book in the Lucy Lawrence Mystery Series.

[image error]

A suspicious death, stolen gems and an unclaimed reward: who will be the victor in a deadly game of cat and mouse?

London October 1886: Trapped in a troubled marriage, Lucy Lawrence is ripe for an adventure. But when she meets the enigmatic Phineas Stone, over the body of her husband in the mortuary, her world begins to fall apart.

When her late husband’s secrets spill from the grave and her life is threatened by the leader of London’s most notorious gang, Lucy must find the strength to rise to the challenge. But who can she trust and how is she to stay out of the murderous clutches of London’s most dangerous criminal?

Amazon Pre-Order Buy Link

A Conversation with Author Judith Arnopp

This evening in the Library we have ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Judith Arnopp, who has dropped in to say hello and to share some insights into her life as an author.

You are very welcome, Judith, please introduce yourself:

[image error]Thank you for inviting me to your blog. I write historical fiction from my home overlooking Cardigan Bay in Wales. I like to put myself in the shoes of the women who lived and breathed under the rule of the Tudors, sometimes my characters are members of the Tudor family, sometimes they are subjects but they all share one thing – the fight to survive the political upheaval of the day.

The Tudor novels include: Sisters of Arden: on the Pilgrimage of Grace; The Beaufort Chronicles: the life of Lady Margaret Beaufort (three book series); A Song of Sixpence: the story of Elizabeth of York; Intractable Heart: the story of Katheryn Parr; The Kiss of the Concubine: a story of Anne Boleyn; The Winchester Goose: at the court of Henry VIII.

Early in my career I wrote in the medieval/Anglo Saxon era and produced three novels, The Song of Heledd; The Forest Dwellers, and Peaceweaver. I also write nonfiction – my articles appear in several anthologies.

[image error]

Which genre do you write in and what draws you to it?

I write historical fiction, mostly in the Tudor period. I have always loved history so when I graduated from university it made sense to stay on a while longer and study for my masters in medieval/Tudor history. When I could find no more excuses not to leave full time education I began to write, turning my hobby into a career. My first novel, Peaceweaver, was published in 2009 and I am now writing my eleventh (I think). I live very quietly, and am a bit of a recluse so I feel much more at home writing in the Tudor period than I do in the present day.

Are you an avid reader? Do you prefer books in your own genre or are you happy to explore others?

I used to read historical fiction exclusively but now I am an author I try to avoid it. I don’t want to taint my own voice or style so I read crime fiction, or classics. The book I most enjoyed last year was The Mermaid’s Daughter by Ann Claycomb, a rewrite of The Little Mermaid – I was totally gripped by it and sorry when it came to an end. Of course, there are always a few historical fiction titles I can’t resist and I am very excited to hear the Hilary Mantel has finally got around to finishing the sequel to Bring up the Bodies. I will certainly be reading that one.

What part of the writing process do you find most difficult? How do you overcome it?

Time in which to get the first draft written. There doesn’t seem to be enough hours to do everything expected of an author today. I’d love to be able to just sit and my desk and write but if you neglect marketing, social media, keeping your covers updated and producing new attractive posters your current books will cease to sell. There are so many authors these days that is has become very difficult to be ‘seen’ and it can be disheartening to pour hours into a blog post that nobody reads or comments on. I’d love to have time to deal with all these things but the older I get the shorter my working day becomes, and something has to be sacrificed. I just do what I can. If my whole morning is spent marketing, I get very few new words on the page, if I spend the morning writing, I sell fewer books. I really need a team of enthusiastic marketing managers so I can just write but I am not rich enough. I just do what I can, when I can – my working life is a desperate muddle of seeing what can be achieved before I drop – I don’t have an answer to this difficulty.

What was the best piece of writing advice you received when starting out?

I was advised to write, write, write, to hire an editor and to never believe I was good enough. I stick to this advice. I try to write every day. I have a fabulous editor Cas Peace, who ensures my commas are in the right place and hunts down the typos. Between us we produce something worth reading. The piece of advice I pass on to new authors is to never think I am good enough. This doesn’t mean one should tear out your hair and wail that your writing is rubbish – it means to strive to be better, always see the faults and failures in your own work (then you won’t be so disappointed when others call you out on them). Do the best you can and then, next time, try to do better still. Complacency has ruined many a fine author.

Do you have a favourite time of day to write?

I write in the mornings while I am alert enough to think clearly. I start the day answering emails, tweeting and responding to social media messages while I fuel myself with coffee and cornflakes. Then I edit what I wrote the previous day before launching into the next part of the story. That is the plan anyway; sometimes I have to research, or life gets in the way in the form of grandchildren or appointments, or answering interview questions as I am today.

If you weren’t an author, what would you be up to?

That is a very good question. I have no idea. I can’t really see myself doing anything else. My side line is making French hoods, coifs and medieval bags etc. which I sell in my Etsy shop so perhaps I would do that in a more serious way. I could never work in an office or a shop. I like to work from home and have become used to being my own boss. Or perhaps I’d enjoy interior design, I do a lot of that and I am running out of rooms to make over at home. Or garden design – I love my own garden and have transformed the one we have now. Come to think of it, there are heaps of other jobs I could do but I have learned that if you turn a hobby (in my case writing) into a job inevitably some of the shine is rubbed off.

If a movie was made of one of your books, who would you like to play the lead roles?

A movie! What a lovely thought. I am not very good at remembering the names of actors but I will give it a shot. If The Winchester Goose was being filmed I’d choose the following.  Francis Wareham is the main male character. He is very dashing and handsome but not very old so would need to be played by someone like, erm …Simon Woods who was Mr Bingley in Pride and Prejudice, the Keira Knightly one.

[image error]I think Alex Kingston would make a brilliant Joanie Toogood, the ‘goose’. She did a great job with Moll Flanders and I think she has all the necessary credentials.

Isabella and Evelyn Bourne are gentlewomen from court. Emma Watson would be good as Eve or maybe Jenna Coleman, the girl playing Victoria at the moment,. The actress who plays Edith in Downton Abbey, Laura Carmichael, would make a lovely Bella. For Peter, who is a costermonger from Southwark it would have to be Rupert Grint – wonderful actor who played Ron Weasley in Harry Potter. Henry VIII would not be played by Jonathon Rhys Meyers (as gorgeous as he is) I think the role is better suited to Steven Waddington who played Lord Buckingham in the Tudors. As to Katherine Howard and Anna of Cleves, goodness, I have no idea. I will leave that to the directors!

If you could travel back in time, what era would you go to? What draws you to this particular time?

This is an easy one to answer. I’d visit the Tudor period to see if I’ve got it right in my novels. I’d like to discover for myself what changed Henry VIII from a virtuous, golden prince into an embittered ‘monster’. At the start of his reign he had great potential yet something happened to change him after 1536. Some say it was a fall from a horse that damaged his mind, others that it was nurture and some believe he was born that way and the decline in his character was inevitable. I’d like to find out for myself at close quarters but not so close that he would notice me. I’d not want to end up on the scaffold.

Please tell us about your latest published work. 

[image error]My latest release is Sisters of Arden and it is set during the dissolution of the monasteries in Henry VIII’s reign. The plight of those affected by the dissolution has always intrigued me and I enjoyed revisiting the period. The records of Arden Priory are scanty but by piecing together what little we know with wider records of the dissolution and the Pilgrimage of Grace, I have explored the closure of the abbeys and the uprisings that followed from the perspective of a group of three insignificant nuns.

Sisters of Arden follows the path of Margery, Grace and Frances, after the closure of Arden. Their adventures take them the length and breadth of Yorkshire. They move from determination to despair, from hope to disillusion but, with their world in pieces, the only thing they can do is try to rebuild it.

Blurb

Arden Priory has remained unchanged for almost four hundred years. When a nameless child is abandoned at the gatehouse door, the nuns take her in and raise her as one of their own.

After the execution of Anne Boleyn in 1536, the embittered King strikes out, and unprecedented change sweeps across the country. The bells of the great abbeys fall silent, the church fragments and the very foundation of the realm begins to crack.

Determined to preserve their way of life, Margery and the sisters of Arden join a pilgrimage thirty thousand strong and attempt to lead the heretic king back to grace.

Sisters of Arden is a story of valour, virtue and veritas.

Buy link: mybook.to/sistersofarden

If you would like to know more about Judith and her work, please check out her links below: 

Webpage

Amazon Author page

Blog

 

Next Stop – King’s Cross Underground!

Early History of King’s Cross

The area now known as King’s Cross is reputedly an ancient crossing point of the River Fleet, and it is believed to be the site of the legendary battle between the Romans and Queen Boudicca. The queen’s resting place is said to be under Platform Nine of the present station. The locality remained predominantly rural during the 18th century and was a popular retreat for Londoners availing of its health spas and country inns.

Once the Regent’s Canal was completed in 1820, King’s Cross was linked to major cities in the industrialised north. This led to the establishment of a number of polluting businesses over the following decades. In an effort to improve the image of the area, a statue of King George IV was erected. Unfortunately, the statue attracted ridicule and was eventually demolished in 1842. However, the new name for the area – ‘King’s Cross’ – stuck.

The first temporary King’s Cross Station was opened in 1850, north of the canal, and was the London hub of the Great Northern Railway. Queen Victoria left for her beloved Scotland from this station in 1851. The present station, designed by architect Lewis Cubitt, was built in a near-by location and opened with two platforms in 1852. 

London’s Traffic Congestion and the Birth of the Metropolitan Underground Line

However, by 1850 there were seven railway termini around the urban centre of London but only Fenchurch Street Station was within the City. The increasing residential population, and the commuting population who arrived by train each day, led to a high level of traffic congestion with huge numbers of carts, cabs, and omnibuses. Up to 200,000 people entered the City of London, each day, on foot.

Overground railway solutions were not viable and this prompted various proposals to build an underground system. Royal assent was finally granted to the North Metropolitan Railway Act on 7 August 1854.

[image error]Credit: iStock_Duncan 1890

The initial estimate for the construction of the Metropolitan Line was £1m. However, due to the Crimean War, the company found it difficult to raise capital and the project didn’t commence until March 1860. Construction would be tricky in the centre of London but the company forged ahead using the cut-and-cover method from Paddington to King’s Cross. To the east of King’s Cross, a tunnel continued under Mount Pleasant, Clerkenwell and then followed the culverted River Fleet beside Farringdon Road.

[image error]1863 Credit: Wikipedia: David Cane

Teams of navvies were employed to manually excavate the trenches which were 33 feet wide with brick retaining walls. Then a roof of either a brick arch or iron girders was placed on top. They made the tunnels wider at stations to make room for the platforms.

The first trial runs were carried out from November 1861 and the first complete trip over the line was in May 1862. The work was eventually completed in 1862 at a cost of £1.3m.

The grand opening for the 600 shareholders and their guests was held on 9th January 1863 with a large banquet at Farringdon. The public opening of the line was the following day, with 38,000 passengers using the line. In the first 12 months 9.5 million passengers were carried and in the second 12 months this increased to 12 million.

The original timetable specified 18 minutes for the journey with off-peak service frequency of every 15 minutes, increasing to 10 minutes during peak time.

[image error]Metropolitan Railway: Steam Locomotive 1863 Credit: Wikipedia

For some reason the engineers assumed the locomotives used on the line would be smokeless and little or no ventilation was installed. This was compounded by a long tunnel between Edgware Road and King’s Cross. Luckily, the smoke filled stations and carriages didn’t put off commuters who were delighted with the efficiency of the service. Later on, the ventilation was improved by making an opening in the tunnel between Gower Street and King’s Cross and by removing some roof glass panels at some stations.

Over the following decades, the line was extended and finally, in 1898, permission to use electric traction was granted.

1873 – ten years after opening

 

In No Stone Unturned, my heroine Lucy Lawrence visits King’s Cross Station on many occasions. Her family home is in Yorkshire and King’s Cross was the terminus for northbound trains. However, it is when Lucy’s life is in danger that she finds herself at the top of the steps of King’s Cross Underground with her pursuers not far behind … 

[image error]Photo Credit: London Transport Museum

When I began to do my research, I realised my knowledge of the Victorian underground system was scanty at best. Luckily, I discovered the wonderful London Transport Museum online. They very kindly answered all of my questions, even sending me timetables from the period I was interested in, and giving me the journey time I required from King’s Cross to Farringdon Street Station (which is an impressive 4 minutes, by the way, in 1886).

During my research I was amazed to discover that steam locomotives were being used on the underground in 1886. Although the trains were a godsend for the working man and woman, the dirt and steam must have put off many of the more well-to-do Londoners. But I could not resist sending my Lucy down into the King’s Cross underground station as a means of escape.

***

No Stone Unturned is the first book in the Lucy Lawrence Mystery Series.

[image error]A suspicious death, stolen gems and an unclaimed reward: who will be the victor in a deadly game of cat and mouse?

London October 1886: Trapped in a troubled marriage, Lucy Lawrence is ripe for an adventure. But when she meets the enigmatic Phineas Stone, over the body of her husband in the mortuary, her world begins to fall apart.

When her late husband’s secrets spill from the grave and her life is threatened by the leader of London’s most notorious gang, Lucy must find the strength to rise to the challenge. But who can she trust and how is she to stay out of the murderous clutches of London’s most dangerous criminal?

Amazon Pre-Order Buy Link

Death by Coffin!

For any lover of the Victorian era, London’s most famous cemeteries hold endless fascination. My favourites are Highgate and Kensal Green with their eerie Gothic and Neo-classical architecture. The Victorian obsession with death, the after-life and spiritualism, sparked the trend for highly decorated tombs and crypts. Heartbreaking inscriptions, lichen-encrusted headstones and mournful statuary lend a melancholy air to these places. It’s no wonder they feature so much in Gothic fiction. As I researched my latest novel, No Stone Unturned, I delved a little deeper into the history.

Both cemeteries were built in response to London’s population explosion in the early part of the 19th century which had resulted in graveyards being crammed in between shops and houses with little control over the number of corpses being interred. The smell these sites generated was described as terrible.

With public health at risk, Parliament passed a statute for seven new private cemeteries to be opened in the countryside around the city boundary. These included Highgate and Kensal Green.

Highgate Cemetery
[image error]Photo Credit: Dan Bridge

Highgate is probably the most famous of all the Gothic cemeteries. In May 1839, it was dedicated to St James by the Lord Bishop of London. Of the seventeen acres, fifteen were consecrated for members of the Church of England and the remaining two acres were set aside for ‘Dissenters’ (everyone else). Elizabeth Jackson, aged thirty-six, was the first ever burial in Highgate in May 1839.

London’s wealthy invested heavily in the cemetery due to its amazing views over London (highest point 375 feet above sea level) and its unique architecture and landscaping.

Kensal Green Cemetery

“For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen; Before we go to Paradise by way of Kensal Green.” G.K. Chesterton’s poem The Rolling English Road.

[image error]Photo Credit: Kraft_Stoff

Kensal Green was opened by the Bishop of London on 24th January 1833 and was the first commercial cemetery in London. The first burial was the same month.

A competition for the design of the cemetery was held and the winning entry was for a Gothic style, however, the Chairman of the General Cemetery Company had other ideas. The final design was Neo-classical. As in Highgate, the burial grounds were divided up between the Church of England and the Dissenters. 

[image error]Illustrated Police News, 2nd November 1872
An Unfortunate Death!

A pallbearer by the name of Henry Taylor met a tragic end in Kensal Green. While carrying a coffin, he missed his footing and stumbled. His fellow pallbearers let go of the coffin which fell on poor Henry, killing him instantly.

Here is the description from The Illustrated Police News, November 1872:

“KILLED BY COFFIN. Dr. Lancaster held an inquest Saturday evening at the University College Hospital, London, on the body Henry Taylor, aged 60. The evidence of E. J. Heading, undertaker’s foreman, and others showed that on the 19th inst. deceased, with others, was engaged at a funeral at Kensal-Green Cemetery. The Church service having been finished, the coffin and mourners proceeded in coaches towards the place of burial. The day being damp, the foreman directed the coaches with the mourners to proceed to the grave by the foot-way, and the hearse across the grass towards a grave-digger, who was motioning the nearest way. The coffin was moved from the hearse and being carried down a path only three feet six wide, by six bearers, when orders were given to turn, so that the coffin, which was what is known in the trade as a four pound leaden one, should head first. While the men were changing, it is supposed that deceased caught his foot against a side stone and stumbled; the other bearers, to save themselves, let the coffin go, and it fell with great force on to deceased, fracturing his jaws and ribs. The greatest confusion was created among the mourners who witnessed the accident, and the widow of the person about to be buried nearly went into hysterics. Further assistance having been procured the burial service was proceeded with, while deceased was conveyed to a surgery, and ultimately to the above mentioned hospital, where he expired on the 24th inst. The jury recommended that straps should be placed round coffins, which would tend to prevent such accidents. Verdict—accidental death. “

Sadly, although Henry lost his life in Kensal Green, it appears he was not buried there.

In No Stone Unturned, my heroine Lucy Lawrence buries her husband Charlie in Kensal Green. A mysterious mourner at the graveside soon turns her life upside-down as Charlie’s dirty secrets spill from the grave …

No Stone Unturned is the first book in the Lucy Lawrence Mystery Series.

[image error]A suspicious death, stolen gems and an unclaimed reward; who will be the victor in a deadly game of cat and mouse?

London October 1886: Trapped in a troubled marriage, Lucy Lawrence is ripe for an adventure. But when she meets the enigmatic Phineas Stone, over the body of her husband in the mortuary, her world begins to fall apart.

When her late husband’s secrets spill from the grave and her life is threatened by the leader of London’s most notorious gang, Lucy must find the strength to rise to the challenge. But who can she trust and how is she to stay out of the murderous clutches of London’s most dangerous criminal?

Amazon Pre-Order Buy Link

The Blue Velvet Sapphires of Kashmir

My latest novel, No Stone Unturned, is the first in my Victorian mystery series featuring Lucy Lawrence. As I started to research, I stumbled across the story of the famous Kashmiri sapphires. I could not believe my luck. It is a fascinating story and got me thinking: what would a scurrilous Victorian rascal do if he got his hands on some …

[image error]Kashmir Landscape: Photo Credit Nick Kent-Basham

Treasure in the Hills: A mountainous region of Kashmir, known as Padar, held a fabulous secret. It is a remote region high in the Himalayas, well off the beaten track. Various stories abound as to how it finally revealed its treasure-trove; some say a landslide, others that hunters or travellers came across the first stones lying on the ground. Not knowing what they were, the gems were traded for salt and other supplies in Delhi. Eventually, they were sold on to someone who recognised they were rough sapphires. Many transactions followed until they eventually turned up in Calcutta.

[image error]

[image error]The news of this transaction got back to the maharajah in Kashmir, who discovered the sapphires had originated in his area. Extremely annoyed, he went to Calcutta and demanded them back. Every single transaction in the long train had to be undone. Each man who had sold the sapphires gave back what he paid, and so it went through many towns, until at Delhi, a merchant received back a few bags of salt (not his lucky day!).

[image error]Padar Mine 1890

Still miffed, the Maharajah of Kashmir sent a regiment of sepoys to take control of the mines to ensure no more precious stones went astray. During the life of the mines, the yield was disappointingly low and commercial mining ceased early in the 20th century. Their rarity and the fact they are exceptionally beautiful, with a texture like velvet, has led them to be the most prized and expensive sapphires in the world.

 

[image error]Victorian 4.3 Carat Diamond and Kashmir Sapphire Ring 

No Stone Unturned is the first book in the Lucy Lawrence Mystery Series.

[image error]A suspicious death, stolen gems and an unclaimed reward: who will be the victor in a deadly game of cat and mouse?

London October 1886: Trapped in a troubled marriage, Lucy Lawrence is ripe for an adventure. But when she meets the enigmatic Phineas Stone, over the body of her husband in the mortuary, her world begins to fall apart.

When her late husband’s secrets spill from the grave and her life is threatened by the leader of London’s most notorious gang, Lucy must find the strength to rise to the challenge. But who can she trust and how is she to stay out of the murderous clutches of London’s most dangerous criminal?

Amazon Pre-Order Buy Link

A Conversation with Author Wayne Turmel

Today in the Library we have ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Wayne Turmel, who has dropped in to say hello and to share some insights into his life as an author.

You are very welcome Wayne, please introduce yourself:

[image error]Hi Pam, thank you so much for letting me drop by and play in your sandbox. I live and write in Las Vegas, although I am Canadian by birth. In my life I’ve been a stand-up comedian, a car salesman, and a corporate trainer. I have been writing non-fiction for 15 years, and fiction since 2014. I’ve written three novels and multiple short stories. My latest is Acre’s Orphans, a sequel to my Crusades-era adventure Acre’s Bastard.

Which genre do you write in and what draws you to it?

My novels have all been historical fiction until now and my short fiction runs the gamut from fantasy to “Literary” (whatever the heck that means.) As a boy growing up in small-town Canada, all I could think of was being somewhere else, or in another time—it HAD to be better than that. (It wasn’t but I was young and stupid)

Are you an avid reader? Do you prefer books in your own genre or are you happy to explore others?

I always have a couple of books on the go, usually one fiction and one non-fiction. I do read historical fiction, but I also have a weakness for big sword-and-sorcery novels too. I am bibliographically promiscuous.

Are you a self-published/traditional or hybrid author?

All of the above! I have self-published the Lucca Le Pou stories (Acre’s Bastard and Acre’s Orphans) but have had other work published by small presses (The Count of the Sahara) and even, in the case of my latest non-fiction book, (The Long-Distance Leader, Rules for Remarkable Remote Leadership) big, international publishers.

Who has been the biggest influence on your writing?

I often say that I’m the literary love child of Robert Louis Stevenson and Hunter S Thompson.

Has your country of origin/culture influenced your writing?

I think Canadians (especially born in the ’50s through the ’70s) were raised with an inferiority complex. We learned more about the literature of US, Britain and France than we did our own country. It exposed me to a lot of great writers, but also filled me with a desire to travel (and time travel) to anywhere other than boring old Mission, BC. The arrogance of youth, I suppose.

What part of the writing process do you find most difficult? How do you overcome it?

As someone who works from home most of the time, it’s finding the time and energy to separate personal writing time from all the stuff you have to do to earn a living. After being at your desk all day, it’s not exactly tempting to do it some more for “fun.”

What was the best piece of writing advice you received when starting out?

Hemingway is reported to have said, “write drunk, edit sober.” Other than that it’s simply that a writer writes.

Do you have a favourite time of day to write?

I do most of my writing on the weekends, so I will daydream and noodle and create scenes in my head all week long, then sit down Saturday and Sunday afternoons and just pour all that stuff onto the paper. I don’t write often enough, but really crank out the words when I do.

If a movie was made of one of your books, who would you like to play the lead roles?

Ooooh, I think most fiction writers (if they’re honest) play the casting game. For Count of the Sahara, The Duchess and I argue if Benedict Cumberbatch or Tom Hiddleston should play Byron de Prorok. For the Lucca books, either Sean Bean or Clive Owen would be Brother Marco, the Leper Knight.

If you could live the life of an historical figure for one day, who would you choose and what would you get up to?

I’d be Richard Frances Burton going undercover to travel to Mecca or some other exotic location. He was a deeply messed-up guy, but he spoke 20 languages, saw the world, published, spoke, and translated pornography. That would be an interesting brain to inhabit for 24 hours.

If you could travel back in time, what era would you go to? What draws you to this particular time?

Assuming I could still have all my shots and running water/indoor plumbing, I would want to go back to Camelot and Arthurian times. (Which, I know, may or may not have actually existed)

You have been chosen as a member of the crew on the first one-way flight to Mars – you are allowed to bring 5 books with you. What would they be?

Oh man…… The Collected Tales of Edgar Allan Poe, The Collected Plays of William Shakespeare, The Three Musketeers, Treasure Island, and The Great White Shark Hunt by Hunter Thompson.

[image error]Please tell us about your latest published work. 

Acre’s Orphans is the second of the Lucca le Pou stories, set during the second Crusade. Lucca is a young orphan who is driven into the streets of Acre at a time when the Kingdom of Jerusalem is about to fall. He unwittingly becomes a spy, and may be the only hope for the Crusader Kingdom as Salah-adin’s forces prepare to conquer once and for all. Just when he thinks he’s safe, he and a young girl must flee the safety of Acre to get help across bandit-infested territory or the last Crusader stronghold will perish.

It’s historical fiction for people who don’t think they like historical fiction, and the series has garnered some nice press and awards.

Amazon Buy Link:

Thank you for the opportunity to play with your readers today, Pam. Much luck to you with your own work.

Thank you for taking part, Wayne, it was a pleasure.

If you’d like to know more about Wayne and his work, please check out the media links below:

Twitter @Wturmel

www.WayneTurmel.com

Facebook.com/wayne.turmel

Amazon Author Page https://amazon.com/Wayne-Turmel/e/B00J5PGNWU/

 

 

Historical Fiction Cover Competition June 2019

What draws you to a historical fiction book cover? 

Welcome to my monthly historical fiction cover competition. I hope you find some new books and authors for your ‘must read’ list. If a cover interests you, just click on the link to learn more about the book.

My June winner is:
The Marigold Chain by Stella Riley

***

[image error]

Stella’s covers are always sumptuous and this one is particularly gorgeous. The colours and mix of images are a delight. Congrats Stella!

***

2018 B.R.A.G. MEDALLION HONOREE

England, 1666; the year when people who take prophecy seriously believe that the world is going to end.

For Chloe Herveaux, marriage to wild, unpredictable Alex Deveril offers escape from a home she hates. For Alex, waking up with an epic hangover, the discovery that he has acquired a bride is an unwelcome shock. But while the marriage remains in name only, other forces are gathering.

England is once again at war with the Dutch and Prince Rupert suspects that sabotage is at work within the fleet. Instructed to find and stop the traitor, Alex enters a dark labyrinth of intrigue – where no life is safe and nothing is what it seems.

Chloe, meanwhile, navigates the shark-infested waters of Charles the Second’s Court and plots a course of her own aimed at financial independence. But as the intriguing facets of Mr Deveril’s personality are gradually revealed to her, Chloe’s mock-marriage becomes fraught with difficulties – the greatest of which is Mr Deveril himself.

Absorbed in his search for a traitor, Alex spares little thought for his bride. But as the flames of the Great Fire sweep over London, Alex and Chloe face their ultimate test. Their world is at risk … their choices may save it.

To find out more, please click here

***
As always, it was difficult to choose. Here are some other wonderful covers to tempt you!

[image error]

Lady Caroline (Callie) Sutton has known Nathan, heir to the Dukedom of Craven, all of her life. He is best friend to her brother, James. Her childhood has been idyllic, brought up away from the restrictions and trials of society. As she grows from child to maiden, the feelings between herself and Nathan change. A touch, a smile and a kiss, promise future happiness. When he leaves to tour the Americas with James, there is an unspoken agreement between them. But events destroy her idyllic life, snatch her away from that she had expected, and push her into a life she does not want. Unable to fight the forces now controlling her, she vows to seek one last moment of the life she was destined to have, before bowing to the life she must now live. But into that life she takes a secret so dire that if it were discovered her very life could be at risk. Will she be able to maintain her deception? Will she be able to re-capture the happiness she once knew, or is she doomed to the fate that was thrust upon her?

To find out more, please click here

 ***

[image error]

Freedom of the press is in peril. Families are torn apart by politics and principle. Opposing political parties manipulate the public in speeches, public meetings, and the media, grasping for votes and consolidating power. Foreign nations peddle influence in all directions to achieve their own ends. The struggle between citizens and government tugs at the threads of the American Constitution… and democracy itself. In a matter of moments, the United States will shatter, beginning the long march of the American Civil War.

Harry Wentworth, gentleman of distinction and journalist of renown, spends a lifetime of social and financial capital, exploiting his position as Executive Editor of the Philadelphia Daily Standard to try to arrest the momentum of both Union and Confederacy. To his sorrow and disgust, his calls for peaceful resolution are worth no more than the ink he buys to print them. As such, he must finally resolve his own moral quandary: comment on the war from his influential-safe-position in Northern Society or make a news story and a target of himself south of the Mason-Dixon Line, in a city haunted by a life he has long since left behind? His choices, from the first day of the war to the last, will irrevocably alter his mind, his body, his spirit, and his purpose as an honorable man.

To find out more, please click here

 

And the not so small print: the judge’s decision is final (that would be me!) and is highly subjective.

Please note this is a cover competition only and does not constitute a review of any of the books featured. It’s up to you to explore. Happy Reading!

***

Don’t forget, if you read a book and love it, post a review and make an author happy.

Historical Fiction Cover Competition May 2019

What draws you to a historical fiction book cover? 

Welcome to my monthly historical fiction cover competition. I hope you find some new books and authors for your ‘must read’ list. If a cover interests you, just click on the link to learn more about the book.

My May winner is:
The Girl Puzzle by Kate Braithwaite

***

[image error]

This cover drew my attention immediately. The clever combination of images suggests a bit of mystery and Victorian intrigue. I had to find out more and went straight to Amazon to see what it was all about. It sounds like a fascinating story. Publication is 5th of May but is available now for pre-order. Congrats Kate!

***

Her published story is well known. But did she tell the whole truth about her ten days in the madhouse?

Down to her last dime and offered the chance of a job of a lifetime at The New York World, twenty-three-year old Elizabeth Cochrane agrees to get herself admitted to Blackwell’s Island Lunatic Asylum and report on conditions from the inside. But what happened to her poor friend, Tilly Mayard? Was there more to her high praise of Dr Frank Ingram than everyone knew?

Thirty years later, Elizabeth, known as Nellie Bly, is no longer a celebrated trailblazer and the toast of Newspaper Row. Instead, she lives in a suite in the Hotel McAlpin, writes a column for The New York Journal and runs an informal adoption agency for the city’s orphans.

Beatrice Alexander is her secretary, fascinated by Miss Bly and her causes and crusades. Asked to type up a manuscript revisiting her employer’s experiences in the asylum in 1887, Beatrice believes she’s been given the key to understanding one of the most innovative and daring figures of the age.

To find out more, please click here

***
As always, it was difficult to choose. Here are some other wonderful covers to tempt you!

[image error]

Teen & Young Adult Historical Fiction.

Every choice has a consequence.

When a magical picture frame reveals the danger facing a teenage traitor, her best friend hatches a plan to sneak her out of Nazi Germany. Options are few. Choices are desperate.

Decades later, an aged Nazi hiding under an alias plans to die with his secrets intact. Confronted with his role in the fate of his sister and her best friend, he must decide: maintain his charade or face the consequences of the path he chose so long ago.

In this powerful conclusion to Risking Exposure, interwoven tales of guilt, sacrifice, and hope crack the divide between personal safety and loyalty to those we claim to love.

To find out more, please click here

 ***

[image error]

“Through the Fire” is a novel in short stories about Prince Konstantin Romanov of Russia. Konstantin was a cousin of Tsar Nicholas II and the third son of the Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich, the Imperial Family’s famous poet.

Prince Konstantin was a decorated war hero who was an officer in an elite Imperial Guards unit during World War I. “Through the Fire” is an alternate history that examines the life that Konstantin might have lived if the Russian Revolution had been averted, and the Romanovs had retained their throne. It is set in the same alternate historical universe as Tamar Anolic’s previous novel, “Triumph of a Tsar.”

To find out more, please click here

 

And the not so small print: the judge’s decision is final (that would be me!) and is highly subjective.

Please note this is a cover competition only and does not constitute a review of any of the books featured. It’s up to you to explore. Happy Reading!

***

Don’t forget, if you read a book and love it, post a review and make an author happy.


Advertisements

Historical Fiction Cover Competition April 2019

What draws you to a historical fiction book cover? 

Welcome to my monthly historical fiction cover competition. I hope you find some new books and authors for your ‘must read’ list. If a cover interests you, just click on the link to learn more about the book.

My April winner is:
A Highland Captive by Cathie Dunn

***

[image error]

The first time I saw this cover it blew me away. Evocative and so clever as you are instantly drawn to the time and place and want to know  more about this mysterious woman on the cover. Congrats Cathie!

***

1298, Scotland

Cailean MacDubhgaill, a knight from a small western island fighting for the Scottish cause, joins the battle at Falkirk but is wounded when he takes a blow to the thigh by an axe. Sir Eòin de Moray, uncle to his late friend, the former guardian, Andrew, helps him escape the carnage and takes him into a nearby forest, but is killed whilst fighting off pursuers.

Once Cailean has recovered from his injuries with the help of the healer Brìde, he rushes to de Moray’s manor on the northern shores of Loch Ness to convey the news to de Moray’s daughter, Isobel, but he is too late. He finds the manor burnt down, its people displaced, and Isobel abducted. Determined to honour the knight who had saved his life, he tracks Isobel down.

Finding herself taken away from her home against her will, to be married off to an English lord in service to King Edward I, Isobel de Moray ponders her fate when a nighttime raid on the mercenary camp sees her freed – only to fall into the hands of a strong-minded knight. The stranger takes her to his keep on the remote island of Eorsa, to keep her safe.

But Isobel has other ideas…

To find out more, please click here

***
As always, it was difficult to choose. Here are some other wonderful covers to tempt you!

[image error]

IRELAND: 192 A.D. A time of strife and treachery. Political ambition and inter-tribal conflict has set the country on edge, testing the strength of long-established alliances.

Following a successful ambush at Cnucha, the Clann Morna tribe are hungry for power but must wipe out the hereditary leadership of their opponents to achieve this. Meanwhile, mysterious war parties roam the forests of the ‘Great Wild’ and a ruthless magician is intent on murder.

In the secluded valley of Glenn Ceoch, a disgraced druid and a woman warrior have successfully avoided the bloodshed for many years. Now, the arrival of a pregnant refugee threatens the peace they’ve created together. Run or fight, the odds against them are overwhelming.

And death stalks on every side.

Based on the ancient Irish mythology and Fenian Cycle texts, the Fionn mac Cumhaill Series by Irish author Brian O’Sullivan is a gritty and authentic retelling of the birth and early adventures of Irish mythology Ireland’s greatest hero, Fionn mac Cumhaill. Gripping, insightful and utterly action-packed, this is Irish mythology/ fiction as you’ve never read it before.

This classic Irish fantasy and historical adventure was a 2016 SPFBO Competition finalist and Irish bestseller.

To find out more, please click here
 ***

[image error]

In 1915 while the First World War raged on in Europe, Americans, and especially New Yorkers, faced their own “silent war” at home. Disgruntled with America’s so-called promise of “neutrality” and overt trade deals with England and France, the German government set up a spy ring headquartered in Manhattan. Their espionage and terrorist networks had tentacles reaching all the way to the German Ambassador in Washington D.C. German operatives planted explosives on American and British cargo ships en route from New York to England, France, and Russia. They plotted to blow up trains, bridges, factories, and even the U.S. Capitol Building.

Josette Rogers is the daughter of a rich businessman who must move his family to London when he inherits his uncle’s import/export business. Curtis Carlson is a rising star at the House of Morgan on Wall Street. They each have very different opinions about whether or not America should enter the war.

Curtis and Mr. Van Camp, a senior partner at Morgan’s Manhattan offices, are sent to England to have $500 million loan documents signed that will help finance the nearly bankrupt British and French governments. Josette and Curtis are both traveling to England on the RMS Lusitania when Josette suspects there is a spy ring on board. Were they sent to divulge the location of the Lusitania?

To find out more, please click here

 

And the not so small print: the judge’s decision is final (that would be me!) and is highly subjective.

Please note this is a cover competition only and does not constitute a review of any of the books featured. It’s up to you to explore. Happy Reading!

***

Don’t forget, if you read a book and love it, post a review and make an author happy.


Advertisements

Historical Fiction Cover Competition March 2019

What draws you to a historical fiction book cover? 

Welcome to a new year of ‘Pam’s Picks’. I hope you find some new books and authors for your ‘must read’ list. If a cover interests you, just click on the link to learn more about the book.

My March winner is:
A Mistake of Consequence by Terri Evert Karsten

***

[image error]

I love covers using images of the time because you instantly know the setting. An adventure on the high seas must be on the cards when you see this beautiful sailing ship. Romance on the high seas? You’ll have to read it to find out! Congrats Terri!

***

It is 1754 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Callie Beaton is nearly twenty, single, and determined not to marry anyone her grandfather deems worthy. But after her impulsive flight from yet another unwanted suitor leads her to the pier one rainy evening, Callie is mistaken for someone else and dragged aboard a ship. Trapped in a dark hold and at the mercy of strangers, Callie has no idea the ship is headed for a bustling port city across the ocean in America.

Wracked with seasickness, unable to convince the ships captain she is not who he thinks she is, and with only one tattered dress to her name, Callie somehow survives the horrid journey. She arrives in colonial Philadelphia penniless, nameless, and alone in a strange place. Two men offer her help: Ethan Asher, a handsome gentleman with a hidden past, and Davy McRae, a charming ship captain with a dangerous secret.

Neither seems trustworthy, but when tragedy strikes, Callie is caught in the middle and must choose one of them to help her if she is to save herself and her newfound friends from disaster.

In this historical romantic adventure, a Scottish lass who finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time unwittingly embarks on a journey across the ocean to a new beginning where she searches for love, belonging, and ultimately her true destiny.

To find out more, please click here

***
As always, it was difficult to choose. Here are some other wonderful covers to tempt you!

 

[image error]

Being a young girl in 1940’s Ireland isn’t easy for Molly, especially since she isn’t like others. Her family and community are wary of the beautiful child.

As Molly becomes a teenager life gets harder and she loses faith in everything.

Molly is surrounded by danger. She must make choices. But will she chose the right path or is she doomed to a life of misery? Will she survive in a world of violence and crime? Will The Healer ever be healed?

To find out more, please click here
 ***

[image error]

In the ancient city of York, something sinister is stirring…

What do a highwayman, an infamous traitor, and two hardened soldiers have in common? Centuries of friendship, a duty to the town, and a sense of mischief – until they realise that someone is trying to bring chaos to their home.

Joining forces with local Vikings, the four friends keep an eye on the situation, but then, disaster strikes.

Can peace be restored both inside and out of the city walls?

To find out more, please click here

 

And the not so small print: the judge’s decision is final (that would be me!) and is highly subjective.

Please note this is a cover competition only and does not constitute a review of any of the books featured. It’s up to you to explore. Happy Reading!

***

Don’t forget, if you read a book and love it, post a review and make an author happy.


Advertisements