Deborah Swift's Blog, page 27
June 23, 2017
Historical Fiction – recent excellent reads #GreatBook
My recent reading. Historical Fiction recommendations. As you know, I read widely, and here are some books which are definitely worth your time. All are beautifully written. Click the title for the UK buy link. The Anchoress This is a contemplative book aimed at young adults. Its powers lie in the description of life as a […]
June 11, 2017
Ten Tips for Editing Historical Fiction No.6 Status
Writers of historical fiction are often concerned with the relationships between servants and masters (see this post) because your rank was extremely important in previous centuries. This picture above expresses it well – the servant sees a lot of her mistress’s back because she is always behind her, and this gives her a particular […]
May 30, 2017
Coffee and History with Annie Whitehead
I was thrilled to discover that one of the historical fiction authors I’d met on facebook, Annie Whitehead, lives very close to me – only a few miles as the crow flies. I couldn’t resist the chance to meet up and share our common experiences of writing, editing and reaching readers with our books. Annie […]
May 17, 2017
Two contrasting novels of the 17th century #HistFic
I am always fascinated by the different writing styles that conjure an era, and these two contrasting books prove that there is no one style to bring an era to life. Both books are great reads and I recommend them. Traitor’s Knot by Cryssa Bazos This is a wonderful novel – richly detailed and full […]
April 6, 2017
Book Club Gold – A year’s free books
I’ve teamed with 11 other authors to bring you books you will want to talk about. You can download one, or all of the books. Our aim is to provide thought-provoking reads and get people talking, so each book comes with its own set of discussion questions. These books are all well-written and have been […]
April 4, 2017
Of Ink, Wit and Intrigue – The Life of the Earl of Rochester #Stuart
I’m delighted to welcome Susan Cooper-Bridgewater to my blog today to talk about her novel about John Wilmot the second Earl of Rochester – one of the rakes and rogues of Restoration London that I am fascinated by, and wrote about here. Welcome Sue! John Wilmot, the Earl of Rochester is known for his satirical […]
April 3, 2017
The Outlaw’s Ransom – the romance of Robin Hood
I’m thrilled to welcome Jennifer Ash to my website today to talk about her new novella, The Outlaw’s Ransom. Here’s a description of the book: When craftsman’s daughter Mathilda is kidnapped by the notorious Folville brothers, as punishment for her father’s debts, she fears for her life. Although of noble birth, the Folvilles are infamous […]
March 31, 2017
Love and Resistance in WW2 Germany
I’m delighted to welcome Marion Kummerow to my blog to tell us about her series of books based on the true story of her grandparents. Deborah: I’m interested to know more about your grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime. They died before you were born, so how […]
March 29, 2017
Historical Fiction: Ten Editing Tools. No 5 – Foreshadowing
As a historical fiction writer, I often want to include major events in history, and usually these are the ‘real’ history that inspired the book. By ‘major’, I don’t necessarily mean big battles, (though the Battle of Worcester forms at least one set piece for me) but they are usually pivotal points of changes in […]
March 25, 2017
Three great books on The Great Fire of London
Rebecca Rideal – 1666 Plague, War and Hellfire For most of my research books I prefer hard copy, and this is a brilliantly and evocatively written hardback, beautifully produced. Here’s are some of the the opening sentences to whet your appetite: ‘Pale winter sun brought the dawn. Casting a mottled-grey glow on glazed windows and […]
