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Helen Steadman

Goodreads Author

Born

The United Kingdom

Website

http://helensteadman.com/

Twitter

helensteadman1650

Genre

Historical Fiction

Member Since

June 2014

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Dr Helen Steadman is a historical novelist. She is currently finishing her fifth book, Solstice, the final part of The Widdershins Trilogy. The trilogy was inspired by several witch trials in the north east of England, including the Newcastle witch trials of 21 August, 1650 where fifteen women and one man were hanged as witches.

Despite the Newcastle witch trials being one of the largest mass executions of witches on a single day in England, they are not widely known about. Helen is particularly interested in revealing hidden histories and she is a thorough researcher who goes to great lengths in pursuit of historical accuracy. To get under the skin of the various cunning women in The Widdershins Trilogy, Helen trained in herbalism and learn ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

Have you got another work in progress? Would love to read more historical fiction by you.

Helen Steadman Hi Beadyjan!

Sorry, I've just seen this question. That's very kind of you to say so.

The sequel to Widdershins is due out in April 19. It's called Sun…moreHi Beadyjan!

Sorry, I've just seen this question. That's very kind of you to say so.

The sequel to Widdershins is due out in April 19. It's called Sunwise and it picks up immediately where Widdershins leaves off.

Then I'm leaving witches and witchfinders alone for a while and writing about a group of master swordmakers who left Solingen and came to live in England in the late 17th century.

So that should keep you busy for a little while.

Very best wishes, Helen(less)

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How do you deal with writer’s block?

Helen Steadman Nowadays, I don't really suffer from writer's block. But I suffered an epic block after reading the Illywhacker by Peter Carey. (This book tells the l…moreNowadays, I don't really suffer from writer's block. But I suffered an epic block after reading the Illywhacker by Peter Carey. (This book tells the life story of a conman, Herbert Badgery.) It was such a brilliant book that I found it impossible to write for two decades after comparing my own efforts with this masterpiece. What I didn’t know then was that between 1964 and 1969, Peter Carey wrote five novels, none of which were published. His first novel, Bliss, was finally published in 1981. In a Guardian webchat, he said he’d have given up had he known how long it would take. Now, he has umpteen books under his belt, and of these, two won the Booker prize, two were shortlisted and two were longlisted. So, the lesson is: persevere.

Mostly, I struggle to find the time to write, or I get distracted by the internet (it's very easy for research to become faffing about online). If I do find myself making excuses, then I start doing morning pages. This basically means writing the second you wake up while you're still in a dream state. It's a great way to beat your internal critic, which means that your day's writing is done before you even get out of bed. It's an excellent cure for procrastinators. I hate doing it as I'm not a morning person and begrudge waking up one second earlier than absolutely necessary, but I make myself do it because it works. I'm planning to write the entire first draft of the Widdershins sequel this way. It's a method first recommended by Dorothea Brande in her book, Becoming a Writer, which is definitely worth reading. (Hilary Mantel says it's the only book on writing that you need to read, and she knows what she's talking about!)(less)

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Helen Steadman’s books

Average rating: 4.0 · 669 ratings · 222 reviews · 6 distinct works • Similar authors

	Widdershins (The Widdershins Trilogy #1) 3.94 avg rating — 447 ratings — published 2017 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sunwise (The Widdershins Trilogy #2) 4.36 avg rating — 132 ratings — published 2019 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Running Wolf 3.90 avg rating — 51 ratings — published 2020 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	God of Fire 3.67 avg rating — 39 ratings — published 2022 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Widdershins: A powerful and shocking witch trial thriller (The Widdershins Series Book 1) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Solstice (The Widdershins Trilogy #3) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Helen Steadman…

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Helen Steadman's Blog

The Riding Mill Witches – Depositions from York Castle in 1673

(Updated 18 February 2023 with news of Solstice, book 3 of the Widdershins trilogy.) My debut historical novel, Widdershins, was inspired by the Newcastle witch trials that took place in 1650. While I’ve been out and about talking about my book, lots of people have asked me whether there were witches in the Derwent Valley. During … Continue reading The Riding Mill Witches – Depositions from York C Read more of this blog post »

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Published on February 18, 2023 07:42

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Series by Helen Steadman

The Widdershins Trilogy (3 books)
by

Helen Steadman (Goodreads Author)

4.03 avg rating — 578 ratings

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Helen’s Recent Updates

Helen Steadman wrote a new blog post The Riding Mill Witches – Depositions from York Castle in 1673 (Updated 18 February 2023 with news of Solstice, book 3 of the Widdershins trilogy.) My debut historical novel, Widdershins, was inspired by the Newca Read more of this blog post »
Feb 19, 2023 05:28AM · like
Helen Steadman voted for Black Cake as Best Debut Novel in the Final Round of the 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards. Cast Your Vote
Dec 02, 2022 06:30AM · like
Helen Steadman and 6 other people liked MeMe's review of Widdershins (Widdershins #1): "Since I had an inexorable desire to read stories about witchcraft and the 17th century witch trials, this book appealed particularly to me because it is set in the North East of England, where I also reside. Based on factual events, this book is sure" Read more of this review »
Oct 18, 2021 01:36PM · see review
Helen Steadman and 1 other person liked Fin Gray's review of The Running Wolf: "I was lucky and privileged enough to have had a chance to read excerpts of The Running Wolf during its early formation. Having read Helen’s two previous novels, I was hopeful that her third would live up to the expectation created by the first two. I" Read more of this review »
Oct 11, 2021 11:23PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Running Wolf by Helen Steadman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Running Wolf by Helen Steadman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Helen Steadman joined the group Goodreads Librarians Group
Sep 09, 2021 08:01AM · like