Susan Higginbotham's Blog: History Refreshed by Susan HIgginbotham, page 41

Search Terms!

I couldn't do a search term post last month because, alas, all of the searches were downright boring and straightforward. This month, however, is somewhat of an improvement.

(Strangely enough, I got a lot of searches for "Elizabeth Woodville and witchcraft." Has someone written a novel about her involving witchcraft?)

Without further ado, here's the other searches:

gardner s 2007 article the importance of timing when implementing new projects

Or when searching for articles written two years ago.

t...

The Duke of Suffolk Has an Accident, And Odds and Ends

As part of my research for my novel in progress, I've been looking into the question of whether William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, wrote the poems attributed to him. (Short answer: no one knows for sure.) Anyway, in researching this (and trying to be careful that my novel doesn't turn into The Tragical History of the Duke of Suffolk, with a Little Bit About Margaret of Anjou Also), I came across this headache-inducing tidbit from a 1915 article by C. Rutherford entitled "The Forgeries of Gu...

Twelve Ways to Liven Up History for Historical Novelists and Historical Revisionists

Having stopped by Alianore's blog this morning and enjoyed her post "Misinformation about Edward II," it's occurred to me that while there's been plenty of advice on how to strive for accuracy in historical fiction, no one's offered any advice on how to throw reality to the winds and distort facts with abandon. So without further ado, here's some guidance for aspiring nonhistorical novelists (and for those who like to embellish nonfiction as well):

1) Question parentage at all times, and don't...

A Will and a Letter from William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk

Yesterday, while doing research for my novel about Margaret of Anjou (don't worry, I'm actually doing some writing for it also), I came across the will of William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, who was responsible for arranging Margaret's marriage to Henry VI. It's one of the more moving wills I've come across.

Suffolk wrote the will on January 27, 1450, just before he was hauled off as a prisoner to the Tower of London. The English had met with drastic reversals in France, and Suffolk, though b...

Guest Post by Jeri Westerson: Don't Call 'Em Dark Ages

I'm pleased to be part of Jeri Westerson's 2009 fall blog tour for her new novel, Serpent in the Thorns, which will be released on September 29. As part of it, here's a guest post from Jeri:

Don't Call 'Em Dark Ages

By Jeri Westerson

Continuing my blog tour to promote my newest Crispin Guest Medieval Noir novel, SERPENT IN THE THORNS, I've been discussing the various erroneous thoughts people seem to harbor about this most interesting period, the Middle Ages.

One mistaken idea was that this per...

A Melusine Sighting, A Brand-New Theory, and a Father's Love

In 1445, Margaret of Anjou was present at Nancy at the wedding of her sister, Yolande, to Ferry de Vaudemont. It was a grand occasion, marked by days of jousting, and King Charles VII himself showed up. But what image was on his shield, pray tell? None other than Melusine, the fairy that with a little help from Warwick the Kingmaker and Richard III launched dozens of historical novels claiming that Elizabeth Woodville and her mother practiced witchcraft.

Now, the naive might suppose that Charl...

A Word From My Cover Designer

There is an early scene where Kate sees the secret marriage taking place...

A Giveaway Winner, and Some Splendidly Purple Prose

First, we have a winner for Brandy Purdy's novel! I've notified Terry, who won. Thanks to all who stopped by and entered.

Second, last night, I was trying to find some more information about Reculee, where the widowed Margaret of Anjou settled following her return to France. In doing so, I came across this 1912 biography by one Edgcumbe Staley, entitled King Rene d'Anjou and His Seven Queens, which contains a section on Rene's daughter Margaret. As this book kept me up for a good hour past my ...

Margaret the She-Wolf?

I thoroughly enjoyed Alianore and Rachel's recent joint post on Isabella, Edward II's queen. Aside from being very funny, the point it makes is quite valid.

This got me to thinking about Margaret of Anjou, the subject of my novel in progress. Margaret is usually depicted in historical fiction as a vengeful and half-mad harpy, intent on destroying anyone who gets in her path. But how does her body count compare to those of male commanders during the Wars of the Roses?

Not very well, it turns out...

The Boleyn Wife by Brandy Purdy: A Giveaway

I'm pleased to be offering a giveaway of an advance review copy of Brandy Purdy's The Boleyn Wife, featuring Jane Boleyn, sister-in-law of Anne. The Boleyn Wife was originally self-published as Vengeance Is Mine. I never got to read it in its original version, because it was snapped up by Kensington very quickly, so I'm looking forward to the revised, expanded version.

Brandy and I have known each other for a while online, and we now share the same agent!

Here's the back cover description from The