Paul Jariabek's Blog: Personal Site of Paul Jariabek, page 5

Adventures of Francis Drake Sic Parvis Magna Update

I have not provided a project update for Adventures of Francis Drake historical fiction series in a while. While there are a lot of reasons … ultimately they amount to the same things – not enough hours in a day, and a stalled project.

After finishing draft 0 of Sic Parvis Magna during NaNoWrimo 2020 (sigh) at 55k words, I have been trying to focus on revising draft 0 to at least a readable draft 1. So, I have been quite busy… lots of revisions to scenes, lots of additional research and hist...

Historical Fiction YA Novel Airy Nothing by Clarissa Pattern

Set In the second half of 16th century England, Airy Nothing is a story of John, an effeminate boy who runs away from an abusive home. The plague takes his twin sister and mother, leaving him with his father who beats him because of how he looks. 

He does not have friends. In fact, he does not know how to make friends. To not be alone, he invents a friend – his hobgoblin from the fairy world. The hobgoblin goes with him when he runs away from his rural English village to London in hopes of fi...

Francis Drakes’ Ship the Tiger

We know that Francis Drake became an apprentice at an early age, and that his apprenticeship was at sea[1]. At that time, the typical starting age of an apprentice was around 11-13, and the apprenticeship lasted a number of years (Wallis states that contract lengths were negotiated and that 3-5 years was common, but in some cases as many as 7[2]). What was it that he likely learned as his trade? How did he come by that knowledge?

Most stories have Drake being an apprentice on a barque. (A dig...

Review of Historical Fiction Novel The Heretic Wind

What is it like, to have everything at your fingers, and yet to have nothing in your hand? 

In The Heretic Wind, author Judith Arnopp introduces us to Mary Tudor, the daughter of Henry the VIII of England and Catherine of Aragon, and the first English Queen in her own right. The book is a fictionalized biography of Mary I (Mary Tudor, whom John Foxe dubs “Bloody” Mary). The historical character is easy to hate… which is why this book is so wonderful—as Arnopp puts us into Mary’s head, we disc...

Character Sketch of Francis Drake

Background on the Drakes of Tavistock and the Western (Prayerbook) Rebellion

How does a farm boy become one of the greatest naval heroes of one nation, a pirate scourge of another? How does a boy from an inland market town venture across the globe and become its second circumnavigator? Did the turmoil of his youth—fleeing his homestead, living with relatives, and multiple contemporaneous rebellions shape his world view, and if so, how?

The Drakes have populated the Tavistock area for multi...

About the Art in the Historical Fiction Short Story Retribution

About the Art in the Historical Fiction Short Story Retribution A historical fiction book allows the reader to experience what it could have been like “back then.” Vivid descriptions are one way to start this experience for the reader. Theme-appropriate artwork is another. Read about the artwork in the historical fiction short story Retribution. Continue reading

The post About the Ar...

Plot Summary of Retribution

Retribution Plot Summary

In July 1557, following the declaration of war between England and France, French privateers capture the English ship Lionheart and take her Saint Valery sur Somme. The crew is imprisoned, and the cargo confiscated. The Lionheart is one of the armed merchantmen that belongs to John and William Hawkins, sons of William Hawkins, former mayor of Plymouth and Member of Parliament and the mariner that first established tria...

Retribution – Short Story

It was July 1557, a month after England’s declaration of war against France. The Tiger moored at Plymouth after a long and successful trading voyage, calling on several European ports. 

Francis Drake, who served as an apprentice aboard the ship, was aloft, dousing and furling the sails. He was looking forward to enjoying a few quiet days of shore leave—visiting with his cousin John Hawkins and enjoying food better than ship rations of hardtack an...

Release of Retribution – a Short Story in the Adventures of Francis Drake Historical Fiction series

I am very pleased to announce the release of my short story Retribution. Part of the historical fiction series Adventures of Francis Drake, Retribution explores a fictional cutting out raid to recapture ship.

In my exploration of Sir Francis Drake’s life, I wondered what his prior experiences were like to produce the daring land raid against the Isthmus of Panama later on in life. Where did Drake get his bearings as a commander of a land attack from a forward base? This is my answer to that ...