Ruth Downie's Blog, page 4

Eboracum 2019

Home from another fantastic Roman Festival in York, and huge thanks to everyone who made it possible – organisers, re-enactors, performers, fellow-scribes and of course to the many visitors, without whom we’d all have been very lonely.

In previous years I’ve put up plenty of photos of men on the march, and they do look spectacular – you can see some here. This year, though, a few pics focusing on the talents of some of the re-enactors in the Living History camp. Without their skills, the tro...

They’re back! A new MEDICUS novella on 9 July

Many thanks to the patient friends of Ruso and Tilla who’ve been in touch to ask how – and indeed what – they’re doing.

Occasionally I get emails asking what happened in between the novels. Usually the answer is ‘not much’, which is why there isn’t a book about it. However… some people wondered whether Ruso and Tilla might have called in on Ruso’s family in Gaul after they left Rome at the end of VITA BREVIS.

And so PRIMA FACIE, a novella telling the story of that visit, was born. As with al...

Gold rush, AD75-style

Just back from the fantastic Dolaucothi Gold Mines in mid-Wales – the only Roman gold mines known in Britannia. This tunnel looks fine in the floodlights, but the original miners would never have seen it like that – they’d have had to manage with little oil lamps. Things hadn’t improved much by Victorian times, when the miners in newer tunnels were issued with candles – as long as they were over 16. Since a boy could start work in the mines at 10, it doesn’t say much for Victorian Values.

Not...

We are (not) at a party…

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Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Some years ago I worked for a small company where, on 23 December, the boss changed the answerphone message to explain that we’d all left early to go to the office Christmas party.

Sometime in mid-February, one of us phoned in from outside and discovered that we were still at the office Christmas party. Which is, I realise, rather how things have been looking on this blog.

However – while on the surface here I’ve been wishing everyone a merry Christmas for th...

Merry Christmas (or what you will)…

…from Downie Towers, and many thanks to everyone who’s spent time with Ruso and Tilla this year. None of it would be possible without you!

Here’s one of the ways the modern residents of Aquae Sulis are celebrating the season:

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Best wishes for 2019!

Book News (yes, there is some!) – a new story on the way, and a bargain for new readers

[image error]People have been asking whether there will be more adventures for Ruso and Tilla, and the answer is…  yes! I’ve had a break from writing over the summer but a short novel/long story is about to go to the editor. It’ll be a return visit to the sunny vineyards of southern Gaul, where Ruso finds that his family are older, but not necessarily wiser. The story will appear as an ebook ‘special’ and it might – or might not – be called PRIMA FACIE. More news when I have it!

Meanwhile all eight books...

Back in the Trenches Again

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It’s hard to believe that we used to expect to capture a whole holiday with one roll of film that might hold 36 shots. I’ve had several trips away this summer and now even my computer is groaning at the prospect of downloading all the photos. (Who knew there were SO MANY Greek statues?) So a post about Greece will have to wait. Meanwhile, closer to home:

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A pic from the weekend of the Alderney Literary Festival last year: standing with fellow-writers Jason Monaghan and Simon Turney on the wa...

Kindle bargains for UK readers, and a free book draw for everyone else

We int[image error]errupt this broadcast to bring you news of rock-bottom bargain prices through July for UK Kindle versions of MEDICUS (the first [image error]book in the series) and MEMENTO MORI (the latest). 99p each! Yes, really! I think the recent sun here must have gone to somebody’s head. Whatever the reason, if you buy from Amazon.co.uk, you may wish grab one or both while you can.

Meanwhile for readers elsewhere who can’t access the UK bargains – a free book draw!  The prize will be a signed copy of whichever...

Queen of the Castle

I’ve always thought of Parracombe as a peaceful and picturesque little Exmoor village, but when William of Falaise (relation of the more famous William the Conqueror) moved in sometime after 1066, he decided he needed a massive wooden castle to keep the natives in order.

The site is now called Holwell Castle and there’s a great view of it across the valley from Christ Church, where an information board helpfully explains what all the lumps and bumps are.

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In case that shot from...

Eboracum 2018 – Romans and beyond

 

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To begin at the beginning…

[image error] Somebody needs to notify Little Bo Peep about this… In the background: part of York railway station. Train is my favourite way to arrive in the city, especially since the station is built over a Roman cemetery, some of which is probably still down there under the platforms. [image error] From the station area it’s a grand walk along the walls toward York Minster. As I haven’t yet worked out how to record video on the new camera, please imagine the Minster bells ringing out ac...