Paula’s Comments (group member since Mar 01, 2013)

Paula’s comments from the Q&A for Paula Lofting - Author of Sons of the Wolf group.

Thanks everyone for coming along to my event!

Stephanie wrote: "I believe and I could be wrong, that women of different classes then were educated to the extent that was allowed for their station. And I do believe they were pawns as well by men.

But at times I..."
Women were literate and noble women were just as entitled to be educated as men were.Many women were educated by nuns who were very well educated themselves. This was good time to be a woman in medieval society, there were laws that protected them from forced marriage and rape.

Anna wrote: "I believe Anglo-Saxon women had a lot of similarities with Norsemen women. These were tough ladies who could manage huge landholdings, business ventures and large broods of children. In some aspect..."

In the period i write in,a lot of lay women were educated in nunneries. Edith, Godwin's daughter, wife of the Confessor could speak about 8 languages! I'd say that was pretty well educated! Yes women in England during this time were certainly very independent, holding their own with their husbands and could own their own property and land aside from their husband. There were also laws that protected women from forced marriage and rape.

Anna wrote: "In other forums, I have noticed you're very committed to getting the historical facts right. When setting a book so far back in the "fogs of time" isn't it difficult to find rock-hard facts? Or doe..."
Hi Anna,
Lovely to see you here! The period that I write in can be quite sparce on the facts and what is available can often be very vague and open to conjecture. I do try to stick to the facts as they were known but if i have taken license I state where i have doen that in my author's note. The other area where i try to be accurate is with daily living etc, the little details that create the atmosphere and sends the reader to the heart of the story. That is a lot easier to do especially as I reenact the period i am writing in.

Stephanie wrote: "Paula, will you become a full time writer or keep your day job?"

I doubt that I would ever be able to do this fulltime, I'd love to but writing doesn't pay the bills. At the moment i am content to nurse and write in my spare time

Stephanie wrote: "Paula, great discussions! Thanks for having me!"

Thanks for coming along

Hi Stephanie
Glad that you made it! I don't think that I would ever write a timeslip, its not something that would interest me to be honest. I cant do the modern world meets ancient thing it just doesn't work for me. There are quite a lot of authors out there that could do that so much better than me.

S.m. wrote: "Hi Paula
I have a couple of questions for you. Why did you choose the period you have to write about? How did you decide on the protagonist for your novel and why did you decide to use a third pers..."

S.m. wrote: "Hi Paula
I have a couple of questions for you. Why did you choose the period you have to write about? How did you decide on the protagonist for your novel and why did you decide to use a third pers..."

Hi Su! Great to see you could make it. I have always been interested in the socalled dark ages and first was introduced to it by Michael Wood. I read Hope Munz' s wonderful book about the Godwins, The Golden Warrior when i was a teenager in the late 70's and fell in love with this period for a short while. Later i moved on to later medieval and backwards to Arthurian but i do believe the 11thc was a seed that was planted in my head. I always knew that I would one day write a book but i had life to deal with first and so it wasnt until much later that I got myself together enough to start working on something. A trip to a 1066 battle re-enactment in 2005 reawakened my interest in this exciting time. I was so intrigued by Harold's story, the tragedy of his death and the apparent loyalty of his subjects who sttod with him on that ridge that day almost a thousand years ago. I wanted to know more about what it was that he inspired in men that made people march with him and fight with him, and did he really have the right to steal the crown from William?
I chose my main character after reading a marvellously written account of the year of 1066 by David Howarth. It was his book 1066, the Year of the Conquest that inspired me to write about Wulfhere and Horstede. I chose to write in the third person because I dont find it easy to write in the first. I feel that when i write, i need to show the story through everyone's eyes, not just one.

Kathleen wrote: "I think they were both pawns and clever.. Anglo Saxon women supposedly could conduct business if they were unmarried..

I have been reading a lot about Peaceweavers and some displayed more efficie..."

Its interesting to know that English women before the conquest were protected by many laws prohibiting forced marriages and assaults on women. Widows too were protected. And many wills of women showed that they could own land of their own, even if they were married, and leave it to who ever they so wished.

Kathleen wrote: "Paula
That is just wonderful, 3 more books in that time period.. I am reading all I can from that time..my Mother's family were Norman/Irish who came in William's retinue and worked for the rulers ..."

wow, very interesting Kathleen, geneaology is amazing. And it must be great to be able to go back that far! In our family we can only go back to the 17thc.I'm really pleased you loved my book! Thanks for joining the group!

Ok, seeing as a lot of you are shy, I thought i'd start a discussion about the lives of women in Anglo Saxon times. Were they efficient, cultured, intelligent and clever? Or were they just pawns in a game played mostly by men?

Ok, seeing as a lot of you are shy, I thought i'd start a discussion about the lives of women in Anglo Saxon times. Were they efficient, cultured, intelligent and clever? Or were they just pawns in a game played mostly by men?

Sara wrote: "Of course I'm thrilled to hear we have similar tastes - I, too, enjoy Sharon Penman and have recently discovered Bernard Cornwell. I'm quite fond of Uhtred -although I know some consider his POV to..."

you're welcome Sara! Uhtred is a very two dimensional character I feel, but i cant help but love the setting, the adventure and the battles and the intrigue. I remember the part in the last book, Death of Kings when Alfred dies. the emotion in that one scene was stunning. I was in floods of tears. BC had never done that to me before.

Hi Sara

I am planning to stay in the 11thc for another two books after the Wolf Banner as we see Wulfhere's youngest son Tovi come into his own and take the lead in the last two books in the series. But I have other projects in mind. I would like to go to the 9thc to write a story of Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians. Then I'd like to jump forward in time to write a modern day thriller and a story about WW1. Lots of research will be needed!

Hi Bobbie thanks for coming along! It was my love of books and my interest in history that inspired me. And i think i have an imaginative mind.

Hi Sara! Lovely to see you here. My favourite authors are Sharon Penman and Bernard Cornwell however i haven't and wouldnt read all of BC's novels as there are so many and not all of them are to my taste. I love Bernard's Uhtred (the Saxon)books and enjoyed the 14thc series Harlequin etc. I'm an old fan of Rosemary Sutcliffe and Mary Stewart's Arthurian series and also rate Helen Hollick's 11thc novels about Emma of Normandy and Harold the King. Currently i am reading Manda Scott's Rome: The Emporer's Spy. Her style is very similar to that of Rosemary Sutcliffe and immensely captivating. I enjoy Peter Rex's books for researching the period i write in and anything by Marc Morris seems to be good for researching. I am currently reading Christine Fell's book on women in Anglo Saxon England. A fascinating read!

Hi everyone, thank you so much for joining my Q&A event. Has anyone got a question or a comment for me? you can ask about my novel Sons of the Wolf, or my work in progress, the sequel to Sons, the Wolf Banner. I'm happy to answer questions about myself, my research, what i like to read. Anything! Go ahead!

Hi everyone, thank you so much for joining my Q&A event. Has anyone got a question or a comment for me? you can ask about my novel Sons of the Wolf, or my work in progress, the sequel to Sons, the Wolf Banner. I'm happy to answer questions about myself, my research, what i like to read. Anything! Go ahead!

David wrote: "Good luck, Paula."

thanks David!

S.m. wrote: "Hi Paula,
Thanks for inviting me! As you know my period is the wars of the roses so I'm looking forward to learning lots!"

hi Su, it will be fab having you on board!