The Scribe's Daughter

Regular visitors to my Facebook pages may already know that my friend Stephanie has written her first novel, for it has been mentioned occasionally, just as we keep after Ken to finish his novel about Othon de Grandson. I am happy to report that Stephanie’s book, The Scribe’s Daughter, is now available for sale. Here is the link to her website, which is a fun place to visit in and of itself. http://www.stephaniechurchillauthor.com/

I know Diana Gabaldon has many fans here, me amongst them. She blazed a path of her own with her Outlander series, blending time-travel with serious historical fiction to great effect. Stephanie’s novel has no elements of time-travel, has nothing to do with the complex politics of 18th century Scotland, and contains none of Diana’s celebrated sex scenes. But her book is like Diana’s in that it is well written and a challenge to categorize. Because The Scribe’s Daughter takes place in an alien world, some readers might see it as fantasy. No dragons, though, no elements of the supernatural, no vampires. Kassia’s homeland will seem familiar to my readers, for her daily life is not all that different from a medieval scribe’s daughter. Stephanie’s characters ride horses, defend themselves with swords, rely upon candles and firelight to hold off the dark. I have always found it very interesting that so many fantasy writers look to the Middle Ages for inspiration; even George RR Martin’s Ice and Fire series is rooted in a gritty, medieval reality—well, aside from the White Walkers and Danni’s dragons. It makes perfect sense to me, though, for what could be more fun to write about?

To check out The Scribe’s Daughter for yourselves, visit Stephanie’s website, where she has generously provided an excerpt from the first chapter.