The Agonising
As far as I’m aware, there’s no collective noun for a gathering of historical novelists; but if there was, it would probably be ‘an agonising’. This was demonstrated in spades last week, at the 2018 conference of the Historical Novel Society. What do historical novelists agonise about? Pretty much everything, really…but more of that anon. […]
The Spirit of Not Dead Fred Revisited
For the next few weeks, I’m going to have my head down as I work on the first of my new Tudor naval novels, so I’m clearing the decks of as many other commitments and distractions as I can – and that includes blogging, for the time being at any rate. So I thought I’d […]
The Sandwich of Xanadu
Last week, I went along to the Historical Writers’ Association Christmas bash. This is always great fun – it’s good to touch base with one’s fellow practitioners, especially because our line of work is, by definition, pretty solitary. Above all, it’s always reassuring to find that author A has exactly the same issues that you […]
Authentic Headless Women Revisited, Now With Extra Tortured Cats
The middle of August, so lots going on, almost none of it seriously work-related – lawns to mow, places to visit, etc. As an ex-teacher of many years’ drudgery service, I still have the mindset that August is pretty sacrosanct, even though that imperative doesn’t really work for writers. Even so, I suspect that many […]
On This Spot, In 1753, Nothing Happened. Or Alternatively, It Did. [Rebooted]
Ridiculously busy ATM as I enter the home straight with the new Quinton novel, The Devil Upon the Wave, and try to finish off a couple of other commitments ASAP too, so a re-blog this week of a post from the relatively early days of this site, back in January 2013. However, this has regained its […]
At Last It Can Be Told!
Cue fanfare from massed ranks of trumpeters, plus assorted Welsh male voice choirs… I can finally reveal the really exciting news that I’ve had to keep under wraps for several months. My e-book publisher, the fantastic Endeavour Press, is launching a new traditional publishing imprint, Endeavour Ink…and I’m one of the authors on their launch […]
A New Era
At long last, after having to keep things under wraps for some time, I’m finally able to reveal some really exciting news! Firstly, great news for all Quinton fans – the series continues! Next year, the 350th anniversary of the Dutch attack on the Medway, will see the publication by Endeavour Press of the seventh […]
But I Still Never Read Reviews, Dahling
A sort of semi-re-blog of an old post this week, one which first saw the light of day some three years ago. Looking back over it, I see that much of it still applies – I still look at my Amazon and Goodreads reviews only very rarely, unlike many fellow authors. This isn’t because I […]
Raging Kings on Fire
Two blogs for the price of one again this week, here on the website that provides better value than Aldi… Those awaiting the latest installment of the Carmarthenshire archives saga (note: other tales of incompetence and obfuscation are available) should go to the other new post, ‘The Right Hand and the Left Hand’. In this […]
Laugh, Torquemada- Damn You, Laugh!
I went to the Historical Novel Society conference in London on Saturday. This was a very jolly affair, for all sorts of reasons – it was good to see old friends and meet new ones, to have a delegate come up to me and launch into gushing praise of Gentleman Captain, and to attend some very […]
