WITH SHARON BRADSHAW Tell me your story. My Grandmother’s books were too heavy for a child’s small hands, but I loved their age and the stories she told me about the people who had owned them. I discovered faerytales inside the illustrated books at school: knights, princesses, and dragons who breathed fire. My mother…
Transported in Time and Place – by Sophie Schiller
Fiction takes you places
Writing Historical Fiction: Make Sure You Write the Right Thing
I had the pleasure of getting to know E.M Powell, initially when she was one of the co-editors of the English Historical Fiction Authors blog, and continuing through our work on the HNS Social Media Team for the Historical Novelist Society. She is a bestselling author of medieval historical thrillers and has always been very generous with her time and encouragement of other writers.
I first approached E.M Powell to participate in a genre discussion about how historical fiction and historical romance often co-mingle in works not typically considered romantic. The result is this wonderful guest post about understanding one’s genre, invaluable advice for all writers!
Writing Historical Fiction: Make Sure You Write the Right Thing, by E.M Powell
Tristan and Isolde by Edmund Leighton [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons When Cryssa asked first asked me if I’d like to be interviewed on her blog, my answer was of course a…
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Historical Perspective: Appealing to Modern Readers
Looking back – 13 insights on historical fiction
Dressmaking During the Regency
Often in a Regency book, we find a situation where the woman requires a new day dress, gown, riding habit, etc. I was reading a book of late where the modiste finished several gowns in two days, but was that possible, especially as the gowns were all hand sewn?
In reality, the answer is not as clear cut as one might imagine. It depends on so many variables; therefore, no exact answer can be had. Is the modiste in London or a provincial town? How important is the client? For example, a duchess would command more service than somebody unknown. How many other clients is the modiste dealing with at the same time? When does the London Season begin? Everyone would be looking for new gowns with the onset of the Season, so modistes would be overrun with business. In A Touch of Scandal, I have Lady Eleanor Fowler…
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Cover Crush: White Chrysanthemum
One of the first thing that draws me as a reader to a book is the cover. As an author, I’m always curious about the design involved in a cover: the colors, the fonts, the imagery, etc. The covers I share here are not a promotion for the book itself, simply an admiration of the…
The Evolution of Aidan
Today is my sweet boy's third birthday. He has brought me endless laughter and sheer joy. The day the breeder placed this tiny red ball of fluff in my arms, he immediately latched onto my hair—and my heart. He has not relinquished his hold on the latter ever since.
Cover Crush: The Room on Rue Amélie
One of the first thing that draws me as a reader to a book is the cover. As an author, I’m always curious about the design involved in a cover: the colors, the fonts, the imagery, etc. The covers I share here are not a promotion for the book itself, simply an admiration of the…
Of Quills & Vellum 
