Fabiola stumbles upon a clue that indicates a royal portrait went missing almost two hundred years ago. Is this true, or is there substance to the rumor?
Paris, France, 1973: After an enjoyable but dusty road trip, Fabiola and her friends, Pippa and Cary, arrive in a small village on the outskirts of Paris to spend a few days with Fabiola’s brother Eivind and his family.
On their first evening there, Eivind shows Fabiola an ancient recipe book he bought at an auction. The book is filled with old writing, and he asks Fabiola to decipher the pages. After the others have gone to bed, she spends hours reading and is gripped by the last pages that have nothing to do with recipes for baked goods and stews. Certain the author was a famous portrait artist at the time of the French Revolution, Fabiola and her friends set out on a treacherous investigation, dodging murderers and thieves to learn the truth.
Versailles, France, 1789: Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun— portraitist and close friend of the extravagant queen of France, Marie Antoinette—has already painted thirty portraits of the queen. Her contemporaries compare her to the old Dutch masters, calling her one of the greatest portrait painters of her time.
But outside on the streets, Paris is becoming more perilous with every day that passes. Madame Le Brun would be a fool to think the rumors of a revolution will pass, and aristocratic life will continue as before.
Amid the turmoil, she paints one final portrait of Marie Antoinette, knowing well her association with the queen could cause her to be arrested or executed. As chaos and riots in Paris turn to violence, Madame Le Brun flees with her young daughter, hoping her royal friend and the portrait will be safe.
This is Heidi Eljarbo’s third dual timeline novel about Norwegian art historian Fabiola Bennett—a captivating spin-off from her much-loved Soli Hansen Mysteries.
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About the Author
Heidi Eljarbo grew up in a home full of books, artwork, and happy creativity. She is the author of historical novels filled with courage, hope, mystery, adventure, and sweet romance during challenging times. She’s been named a master of dual timelines and often writes about strong-willed women of past centuries. After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She lives with her husband on a charming island and enjoys walking in any kind of weather, hugging her grandchildren, and has a passion for art and history. Her family’s chosen retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summer and ski the vast white terrain during winter. Find out more at heidi's website https://www.heidieljarbo.com/ and find her on Facebook and Twitter @HeidiEljarbo
Florence, 1584. Rumours are spreading about the virility of a prince marrying into the powerful Medici family. Orphan Giulia is chosen to put an end to the gossip. In return she will keep her life - and start a new one with a dowry and her own husband. Cloistered since childhood and an innocent in a world ruled by men, Giulia reluctantly agrees, only to be drawn under the control of the Medicis' lecherous minister.
I am pleased to welcome author Katherine Mezzacappa to The Writing Desk:
Tell us about your latest book
Fairlight published The Maiden of Florence in April 2024. It’s based on the true story of a young woman, Giulia Albizzi, taken from a Dominican-run orphanage in Florence in 1584 to act as a proof of virility for Vincenzo Gonzaga, heir to the dukedom of Mantua, before he could contract a dynastic marriage with his cousin Eleonora de’ Medici.
The former orphanage of the Pietà, where Giulia was brought up,
now the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Via Giusti, Florence.
His first marriage, to a Farnese princess, was annulled due to a malformation of the bride. Eleonora’s stepmother, who bore a grudge against the Gonzagas, insisted on proof that the problem didn’t lie with Vincenzo. Giulia would be provided with a husband and a generous dowry. She was taken to Venice incognito and the deed was witnessed by the Medici minister, Belisario Vinta. Thereafter Giulia disappears from record. I tell that story, from her point of view, and follow it with an imagined account of her marriage.
The heart of Vincenzo Gonzaga’s dukedom: Mantua.
What is your preferred writing routine?
I start the weekday with London Writers Hour at 9 my time. At 10 I go to work (I have a job as a management consultant, though it’s now part-time to make way for writing). In the afternoons I write, I go back to work in the evenings and then write again into the night, and at weekends.
What advice do you have for new writers?
Read widely but well. Put simply, if you read garbage then you are more likely to produce it. Remember that writing is a habit, not a hobby. Do it daily; don’t wait for ‘the right moment’ as that is now. Don’t worry about how good your writing is on any day, as you can go back and revise tomorrow. You’ll never be able to revise a blank page.
I would also say don’t give up, and don’t chuck anything out. My next novel is The Ballad of Mary Kearney, set in 18c Ireland. It will be published by Histria Fiction in January 2025, but was written for the most part in 2016, before any of my other novels (five full-length and three novellas) that have been published since. I thought it had something, despite the rejections it was getting, though with experience over time I could see why it wasn’t landing. Several revisions later, it found the right home.
As a new writer, seek the solidarity of other writers, whether that’s in a writing group, people you have met on a writing course or through a professional writers’ organisation. Find your tribe.
What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?
I don’t think I’m that good at it, to be honest, which is one of the reasons why I am grateful for being traditionally published. Getting my first novel (one of those I wrote as Katie Hutton) published in 2020 wasn’t ideal timing; I didn’t get to do any author events until late 2022 though I had three books out by then. I do some of the basics, like blog tours, which I don’t think have a vast impact on sales but immediately increase Google footprint.
I network, notably through the Historical Novel Society (I am lead organiser for the 2026 conference), review and do book and festival events (and post about them) and I look for endorsements. I am grateful for Kate Quinn’s, which she offered without being asked and which will appear on the paperback edition of The Maiden of Florence. There’s not one magic wand. Tony manages this much better than I am, so I am thankful for opportunities like this blog.
Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research.
I don’t know if this wholly unexpected so much as was the extent to which young women were directed into convents in Renaissance Florence (a nun’s dowry being considerably smaller than that expected by a prospective husband). Orphanages were also run under religious rules; the surprise was how many there were, with hundreds of infants being abandoned every year. Their inmates worked unpaid, mainly for the Silk Guild. More recent parallels would be with the Magdalen laundries.
What was the hardest scene you remember writing?
It’s where Giulia is interrogated (there isn’t really a more apt word for it) after the event. It’s based closely on the correspondence in the Medici archive, and it’s one of the few times that we hear Giulia’s voice in the correspondence, as distinct from Belisario Vinta’s, writing things about her. Vinta is both relentless, and explicit in his questions.
He asks things like ‘how many times?’ ‘Did he use any instrument else other than his person?’ ‘When you were crying was it for shame or because he was hurting you?’ He asks his questions repeatedly. Eventually Giulia cries out and tries to hide her face. This happened in 1584, but in its substance probably differs little from what survivors of sexual assault are subjected to now.
Giulia has served her purpose: the marriage of Eleonora de’ Medici
and Vincenzo Gonzaga, 1584.
What are you planning to write next?
I am working on two projects. One is the first of a crime series (a new genre for me) set in Italy in the late 15c and featuring a Salerno-trained physician and reluctant detective. The other is set near Edinburgh in the 1920s. It grew out of a memory an elderly man told me of the people in the ‘big house’ in his village who lost their only son to the trenches. He’d fathered a little boy with a local girl but the young man’s parents steadfastly wanted nothing to do with their grandson.
Katherine Mezzacappa
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About the Author
Katherine Mezzacappa is an Irish author of mainly historical fiction currently living in Carrara, Tuscany. She is the author of The Maiden of Florence (Fairlight) and The Ballad of Mary Kearney (Histria Fiction, January 2025) as well as four novels writing as Katie Hutton and three contemporary novellas as Kate Zarrelli. Her short fiction has been published in journals worldwide. Katherine is a manuscript assessor for The Literary Consultancy, London and for the Romantic Novelists Association. She is a committee member of the Irish Writers Union and a regular reviewer for the Historical Novel Society. You can find Katherine on Bluesky @katmezzacappa.bsky.social
1808: Captain Will Fraser has just returned from the Front in the Peninsular War. He is disgraced and penniless, the victim of a conspiracy led by a jealous and influential officer. Fraser has been falsely accused of insubordination and cowardice and dismissed from his regiment.
Fraser and Duncan Armstrong, his wounded Sergeant, arrive in London to seek out Will’s brother, Jack, who works for King George’s Government.
But Jack has disappeared. He vanished from his lodgings a week ago and no one has seen him since. Friends and colleagues are baffled by his disappearance as is the young woman, Clara, who claims to be his wife.
Then Will is viciously attacked, seemingly mistaken for his brother, and only just escapes with his life. When news of this reaches Jack’s colleagues in Government, Will is recruited to find his brother and he and Armstrong set out to follow a trail littered with half-truths and misinformation.
For their task is not quite what it seems.
Will closely resembles his brother and it becomes evident that he is being used as a decoy to flush out Jack’s enemies. These are enemies of the State, for Jack Fraser is a spy and his colleagues believe he has uncovered evidence which will lead to the identity of a French spymaster embedded in the British Government.
Will’s search leads him to France but in this murky world of espionage, nothing is straightforward.
The soldier turned spy must unmask a traitor, before it's too late.
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About the Author
Rosemary Hayes has written over fifty books for children and young adults. She writes in different genres, from edgy teenage fiction (The Mark), historical fiction (The Blue Eyed Aborigine and Forgotten Footprints), middle grade fantasy (Loose Connections, The Stonekeeper’s Child and Break Out) to chapter books for early readers and texts for picture books. Many of her books have won or been shortlisted for awards and several have been translated into different languages. Rosemary has travelled widely but now lives in South Cambridgeshire. She has a background in publishing, having worked for Cambridge University Press before setting up her own company Anglia Young Books which she ran for some years. She has been a reader for a well-known authors’ advisory service and runs creative writing workshops for both children and adults. Find out more at Rosemary's website https://www.rosemaryhayes.co.uk and find her on Twitter: @HayesRosemary
The Illustrated Tudor Dictionary is my first book and, needless to say, I am incredibly excited about its launch and very grateful to Jon Wright at Pen & Sword for sharing my vision for its place in an already crowded Tudor book market.
I attempted writing fiction many years ago but, after a few short stories, realised that I lacked the natural, creative flair which other authors have in abundance. Then it gradually occurred to me that I should stick to what I am most interested in – the past – an avenue that would allow me to write non-fiction and remain within my comfort zone!
History has always been my thing. After gaining a history degree, I became the sole history teacher at various schools and derived great pleasure from instilling a love of the past in all the children whose paths crossed with mine.
As a fresh-faced and inexperienced (and not very good!) teacher at my first post, in Staffordshire, I happened to stumble across a dusty, old book in my classroom that became the greatest inspiration for the ITD - R.J. Unstead’s Dictionary of History (1976).
Most would now consider this wonderful tome to be dated but, for me, it opened up the past in myriad ways. I can still remember closing my eyes before randomly selecting a page that could transport me into the past. From the Assyrians to the Afghan Wars, from Cleopatra to Cortes, from Sparta to the Second World War, the book was like a faulty time machine that could drop me off anywhere!
Colour plates and a large number of line drawings would help bring the entries to life and, if I chose to, I could follow a pathway, guided by words in capitals, that led to other entries. It felt like a book with no end, a gift that kept on giving and, to this day, I am convinced that there must be parts that I have still not read.
In the foreword, R.J. Unstead bemoans the fact that he had to omit many things or the book would have been impossible to carry! I, too, had the same problem in the ITD, of course. Deciding on who and what to include or omit was largely subjective and no doubt there will be many who will question my decision-making but I had to disagree with Unstead’s implication that writers, artists and musicians are not important enough!
He wrote several books and his aim was always to make history more fun and accessible to children. Possibly, he was a pioneer in this respect and I certainly share this ambition although the ITD is aimed at adults just as much as older children.
And so why the Tudors? This period had the advantage of me already having a good prior knowledge (having taught it quite a lot over the years!) added to the fact that it is such an important transitional time in England’s history.
The sixteenth century witnessed the beginning of the early modern period when England started to adopt more easily recognisable features: centralised government, a growing middle class, men of ability rather than nobility in power, the diffusion of ideas and education through literature, a greater sense of nationalism and the beginnings of a global trading network.
Moreover, it is perhaps hard to believe that so many strong, memorable characters are contained in such a relatively short time span. Margaret Beaufort, Wolsey, More, Cromwell, Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII, Cecil, Drake, Bess of Hardwick, Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I are to name but a few. Such a fascinating period demanded the template that Unstead had already provided in 1976.
Simon Sandys-Winsch
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About the Author
Simon Sandys-Winsch was born and raised in Lincolnshire before completing a degree in History and International Politics at Aberystwyth University. He then trained to be a teacher and went on to work in a great variety of schools including one in Nairobi and another in Auckland. Initially, he only taught history but gradually became co-opted into teaching many other subjects, even art and French! During a break from teaching, he sold oil paintings in Melbourne and worked for a sales company in New Zealand. He even tried his hand at telemarketing in Auckland but could only survive five days! By the time he left teaching in 2021 he was in senior management but always retained his love for his first subject. He now works as a tutor in south-east London and has a wife and two daughters with whom he loves to travel. In his spare time, he battles slugs in his allotment, plays hockey and follows his beloved Norwich City F.C. The Illustrated Tudor Dictionary is his first book. Find Simon on Bluesky @simonsandys-winsch.bsky.social
Elizabeth of York has often been overlooked by Tudor historians in favour of her infamous son King Henry VIII and his six wives, as well as her glorious ‘Virgin Queen’ granddaughter Queen Elizabeth I.
But Elizabeth, the daughter of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, deserves far more recognition than she currently receives. She suffered the loss of her younger brothers, the Princes in the Tower, and lived through the reign of her maligned uncle King Richard III, who it has been suggested plotted to marry his niece.
Elizabeth was born at a time when having women in power was not considered desirable, but if she had been able to rule then Elizabeth would have been England’s first queen regnant. It was her position as the heiress to the House of York that solidified her husband’s claim to the throne. When she married Henry VII they finally united the warring houses of Lancaster and York.
It is often thought that Elizabeth was a weak, ineffectual and pious woman who was too meek to challenge her husband’s rule, but in reality she held some sway over her husband and he often valued her opinion. If anything, Elizabeth was a resolute, well-respected and influential queen.
Despite being of Plantagenet blood, Elizabeth of York was the mother of the Tudor dynasty, one of England’s most powerful and ruthless monarchies. Yet she was a devoted mother and an adored queen to the people of England.
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About the Author
Beverley Adams was born and raised in Preston, Lancashire. She gained her MA in English in 2018 and her first book, The Rebel Suffragette: The Life of Edith Rigby, was published in September 2021. She has since released other titles including The World’s First Computer Programmer: The Life of Ada Lovelace and The Forgotten Tudor Royal: Margaret Douglas Grandmother to James VI & I. She is passionate about bringing the lives of inspirational women back to life. Her interests include history, in particular the Tudors, reading and travel. Find out more at beverley's website https://beverleysreads.wordpress.com/ and find her on Twitter @WriterBeverleyA
Embark on a captivating journey with Kat Christensen's novel—a tale that breathes life into American history. Set against the backdrop of a nation's expansion, this story introduces a world rich with romance, jealousy, murder, and the unyielding spirit of survival. Meet Easter, a formidable young woman carving her homestead from the rugged Western frontier. With Manifest Destiny's fiery ambitions as a backdrop, Easter's resilience is tested amidst political turmoil and societal upheaval.
I'm pleased to welcome author Kat Christensen to The Writing Desk:
Tell us about your latest book
A Profitable Wife is a pioneer survival story spiced with romance, jealousy, and murder. It’s inspired by a scrappy ancestor of mine who, born during the War of 1812, eventually made her way from New York’s Mohawk Valley to homestead in what is today the states of Ohio and Iowa. My grandmother first told me this tale when I was nine, and I later learned it had been passed down through generations, captivating many with its scandal and mystery.
Historian James Whitcomb Ellis cemented its legacy in his 'History of Jackson County', confirming family lore and enriching it with vivid historical details. Researching this ancestor’s journey was a historical fiction writer’s dream, bringing to life the extraordinary events that shaped her world and the young nation around her.
What is your preferred writing routine?
When I’m deep into a project, my writing pace varies from daily sprints to occasional bursts a few times a month, depending on the depth of research needed or life’s inevitable distractions. My creative sanctuary is a humble cabin in eastern Washington, where I retreat to focus on my craft.
Writing often consumes me—I lose track of time and enter what I call a "clairvoyant disposition." I inhabit my characters, seeing the world through their eyes, feeling their emotions, and channeling their experiences both physically and spiritually. This immersive process lets me shape vivid scenes, leaving just enough room for readers to embark on their own journeys. My stories often take on a life of their own, guided by characters who lead me to unexpected destinations.
What advice do you have for new writers?
For budding historical fiction writers: savor the journey. Embrace the process of discovery and creation, for the journey itself is the reward.
What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?
In today’s digital age, social media reigns supreme. Building an online presence is crucial—share your work and support fellow authors. The literary community thrives on mutual encouragement, and platforms like Reedsy and Goodreads are invaluable for connecting with readers and writers alike. Collaboration and camaraderie can open doors you never knew existed.
Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research
The “Real Housewives” of the Old West. I was struck by the resilience of countless pioneer women who braved the frontier, often journeying alone with their children in tow to reunite with husbands who had gone ahead to prepare their new homesteads.
These women weren’t mere companions—they were architects of their families’ futures. From building homes out of raw materials to founding schools, churches, and community organizations, they mirrored and recreated the lives they left behind. Their strength and ingenuity were nothing short of astonishing, embodying the indomitable spirit of the American frontier.
What was the hardest scene you remember writing?
The story of Easter—a young woman defined by her grit and determination—thrusts her into trials that pioneer women often faced. Writing about her bittersweet reflections on survival was deeply emotional. She embodies the "mama bear" spirit, willing to endure anything to ensure her children’s survival. Capturing her moments of despair and resilience, especially when she confronts defeat yet refuses to be defeated, was both challenging and profoundly moving.
What are you planning to write next?
I’m excited to revisit a project set in the 6th century, centered on historical queens embroiled in a decades-long blood feud. I had put it on hold to focus on A Profitable Wife, but this winter, I’m diving back in, eager to bring their fascinating story to life. Kat Christensen
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About the Author
Kat Christensen is a historical fiction author and reviewer who is passionate about good reads. Rooted in a diverse heritage tracing back to the Revolutionary era, she is driven by a deep-seated curiosity to uncover remarkable stories of female ancestors that shape our modern identity. Kat honed her skillset in corporate information technology which she now passionately transforms into the art of architecting stories. Residing in the Pacific Northwest, she can often be found on urban and rural hiking trails, and of course, in cozy coffee shops. Find out more at Kat's blog https://katchristensen.blog/ ad find her on Facebook and Twitter @KathChristensen
A magnificently illustrated oversize book that uses art to illuminate the lives of medieval women, from peasants to queens
Understanding Medieval Women Through Art
The medieval period is a time that captures popular imagination. It is no surprise that the fantasy genre we are used to seeing in films and television and within books often set themselves in the Middle Ages - a time of glorious knights, beautiful damsels, and a love for stories with dragons and mythical beasts. But when we want to turn to the real history behind these settings and learn more about what medieval life was really like, we can sometimes hit a brick wall. Written sources were largely written by men and were concerned with religious and political matters, often to the exclusion of women. How, then, do we find out how a medieval woman may have spent her day?
One obvious answer can be easily overlooked: artwork. Medieval Europe was an exceedingly visual culture, with art decorating their tableware, the walls of their homes and churches, their mirrors, their furniture, their books. Art was made by anyone for everyone. One did not have to be educated or literature to pick up a paint brush or sew a cushion, and as the centuries progressed and industry flourished, there were plenty of opportunities in the world of work to choose a more creative career.
Peasant women were abundantly depicted in art when they are otherwise overlooked in many written sources. Marginalia of manuscripts very often showed scenes of domestic life, and women are found baking bread, making pasta, feeding farm animals and spinning threads. As the book trade developed in the later Middle Ages, some women who had moved to the blooming towns and cities found opportunities to work as illustrators of these manuscripts, leaving their marks on books they would never otherwise have come into contact with.
By creating such art, we are able to trace the existence of lower-class women who may otherwise have been lost to history. One well-known manuscript artist was Jeanne de Montbaston, who worked for many years as an illustrator alongside her husband Richard in Paris during the fourteenth century. The couple decorated at least 50 manuscripts that have survived today, working together and separately.
Jeanne and Richard Montbaston at work, from the Roman de la Rose
(Wikimedia Commons)
Their slightly different styles have allowed us to identify which images Jeanne was solely responsible for, and gives us a wonderful insight into her skill. One manuscript features a marvellous self-portrait of the two at work. Because Richard died before Jeanne, we know her name; in order to continue working as a single woman, she had to swear an official oath with the University of Paris. If she had predeceased her husband, we would never have known her name, but she still would have left her mark in the little figure of herself in the margins of a page.
But artists were not only from the lower classes, and one may be surprised to hear that many artists were religious women. Sequestered away in their nunneries and abbeys, religious women usually had a unique opportunity to gain a much higher education than their lay sisters. Most religious orders taught their nuns to read so that they could understand religious texts, and many consequentially learnt to write, too.
Although much of a nun’s day was expected to be devoted to prayer, idle hands were thought to encourage sin and so they needed another outlet to direct their attentions. Creating something with their own hands was seen as a healthy activity, and so nuns were told to sew altarpieces and religious garments, to copy out religious texts to fill their libraries, and decorate these books with beautiful, holy imagery.
Very many of these religious women signed their own works, and there is a plethora of self-portraits of nuns that survive from these manuscripts. Through this, we manage to have snippets of lives where records otherwise do not survive - one of the first signed self-portraits of a Western woman was created by a German nun named Guda in the 12th century.
Women were not only creating art, but they were expected to be influenced and shaped by it too. Noblewomen were even more surrounded by art than their lower-class counterparts, with vast castle walls to fill with tapestries and everyday items like mirror cases and storage chests carved and painted with pictures. Noblewomen had very high expectations placed upon their behaviour, and so the art that surrounded them was often meant to guide them and remind them to behave meekly and properly.
Demure women gazed down from portraits, saintly women watched over them in church stained-glass windows, and the books gifted to them depicted their own visage knelt in prayer. Noblewomen are shown as powerful, benevolent figures who guide their children and husbands with their mercy and charity. Art held a vital important to medieval people, and so we have to consider it when trying to uncover the lives of people who lived centuries ago.
Women’s voices are so often silent or silenced in the written record, and so art can tell us so much that may otherwise be lost. Through this art that they created, were depicted in, and were influenced by, we can start to unpick what life was really like for a woman in medieval Europe.
Gemma Hollman
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About the Author
Gemma Hollman is a historian and author who specialises in late medieval English history. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, her first book 'Royal Witches' was published in 2019 and her second book 'The Queen and the Mistress' was released in November 2022. She has a particular interest in the plethora of strong, intriguing and complicated women from the medieval period, a time she had always been taught was dominated by men. Gemma also works full-time in the heritage industry whilst running her historical blog, Just History Posts, which explores all periods of history in more depth. Find out more at Gemma's website https://justhistoryposts.com/ and find her on Facebook and Twitter @GemmaHAuthor and @JustHistoryPost
Nova Scotia, 1871. Leaving everything and everyone she has ever known, Annetta Stewart boards a ship bound for the exotic islands of Vanuatu in the South Pacific, unaware of the trials and dangers that lie ahead.
Annetta is young, has her new husband by her side, and is going with love in her heart. But will it be enough?
The dangers become real as the actions of slavers in the islands bring consequences that shake the couple to their core. Annetta must decide if she is strong enough to stay. Will the light or dark win out in the hard truths she must face about her faith and purpose in life?
Based on actual events, The Missionary’s Wife is a moving and powerful historical novel about sacrifice, love, acceptance, partnership, and the courage to live life despite the challenges we face.
Join Annetta on her journey and discover the beauty of the islands through her eyes, as she grapples with the ultimate question: how far would you go for what you believe in?
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About the Author
Claire McGregor lives with her husband and two children in the rolling hills northeast of Melbourne, Australia. She is an Accredited Editor and book designer who specialises in editing non-fiction, particularly memoir, family history and biography. The Missionary's Wife is her first work of historical fiction. She helps many independent authors bring their books to life through her business, Kookaburra Hill Publishing Services. Find out more from Claire's website https://clairemcgregor.com.au/ and find her on Facebook and Instagram @clairemcgregor37
Can Christmas festivities brighten even the darkest days of war?
Tilly, Maggie, and Katie Kingston’s lives changed when the blitz tore through London, putting a sudden end to a peaceful childhood on Longridge Road. With all three sisters determined to do their part for England in the war, their paths lead them away from each other for the very first time. Tilly to the Royal Ambulance Service, Maggie to the Women’s Army, and Katie to the Navy.
Christmas with the Kingston Girls is a look back at each Christmas during World War II. It begins before the war begins in 1938, and ends in 1946 when the family is into the post-war period and finally back together.
The events of each Christmas season are told through the eyes of one of the main characters: Tillie, Maggie, Katie, and Alice. It is a series of snapshots of where everyone was in their lives, and how they were coping with the war impacts of that year. Some are poignant, many are sad, yet there is also a lot of joy and merriment.
You can follow the Kingston girls as they mature, serve their country to help the Allies to eventual victory, and deal with love and loss along the way. It completes the original trilogy by wrapping up the stories of these courageous women and their wartime adventures.
What was your inspiration to write a Christmas book?
Christmas with the Kingston Girls is a thank-you to all the readers who have loved the tight-knit Kingston family and wanted to read more about Tillie, Maggie, and Katie. I thought it would be a great way to showcase the entire story of the Kingston Girls through a specific lens, and to share untold tales that helped shaped the characters into who they became. I’ve always loved holiday books – they get you into the Christmas spirit! As I hope this book does for you.
Was it easy or difficult to write a book spanning nine family wartime Christmases?
It was surprisingly difficult to write Christmas with the Kingston Girls. I originally thought I would be able to take a broad sweep of the nine Christmases based on all the writing and research I’ve done for the first three books. But remembering exactly who was where, and within which individual story arc each short Christmas period was more difficult than I anticipated. I found I had to constantly re-read my own books to ensure I got it right!
I also found it challenging because I couldn’t change any of the storylines of the first three books. As I was writing Christmas with the Kingston Girls, I wanted to embellish certain events or add more content, but I couldn’t without compromising the integrity of the first three books.
Lastly, I suffered a minor (major?) emergency when I lost the first 30,000 words of the manuscript in January. I spent a frantic few days trying everything I could to recover the file, to no avail. At that point, I reconsidered even writing the book. I wondered if maybe I wasn’t meant to write it and the story wasn’t supposed to be told.
But I decided that it was important for me to finish, so I painstakingly re-created the first ten chapters from memory. Luckily, I am a planner so at least I had my outline to guide me. I actually believe the second version is better. Being named a finalist in the Historical Novel Society’s First Chapters Competition reassured me that this book was meant to be written.
What’s one interesting thing that you found during your research?
One of the most interesting and challenging things was the sheer difficulty in getting weather information for the wartime period. The newspapers stopped printed weather forecasts so that the enemy wouldn’t be forewarned about optimal bombing conditions in England. And none were broadcast on the radio either, so the British people never knew what might be coming weather-wise for six long years. One of the many hardships they had to face.
It was important to accurately portray the weather conditions as a backdrop for what was happening to Tillie, Maggie, and Katie. This part of the research caused me to dig in to many different sources to recreate the real weather conditions as closely as possible.
Are you sad to leave Tillie, Maggie and Katie behind as the Kingston family saga ends?
Yes, I have fallen in love with each of the girls, and I’m sad to leave them behind in my made-up world of 1946. As each girl has grown into a woman, faced and overcame many personal challenges, bravely conquered dangerous wartime conditions, and searched for love, I have been cheered with their personal resilience and commitment to family. It’s a testament to the real wartime spirit that existed in Britain. At the same time, I feel their stories are complete and I’m content to leave them alive and joyful after six long years of war.
Watch out for a cameo or two in my next book, as I’ve brought along a Kingston girl into my upcoming series!
What are you working on next?
I’m writing a new series about brave women at Bletchley Park, home of the codebreakers, which is also set in WW2. There is a new set of characters who will be facing their own obstacles and seemingly impossible wartime roles, all the while dreaming of a love that will stretch past victory. The first adventures of Violet, Fern, and Isabelle Grey will be coming in 2025!
Deb Stratas
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About the Author
Deb Stratas tells well-researched and highly readable stories about powerful women in extraordinary circumstances. Readers are transported to other times and places, inspired to be authentic in their own lives. In 2023, Deb signed with ReadMore Press to re-launch her WWII Kingston Twin series: The War Twins of London and A Burning London Sky. As The Kingston Twins, Bravery in the Blitz, the first book was a finalist in the regional fictional category of the 2023 Next Generation Indie Awards. 2023 also saw her enjoy her fourth intensive research trip to London (her happy place!) and complete the Cheshire Novel Prize Summer School and Advanced course. She is based in Oshawa, Ontario, and when not researching or writing, she cherishes spending time with her two amazing adult children, their spouses, and two sweet grandchildren. Find out mor from her website https://www.debstratas.com/ and follow Deb on Facebook and Twitter @deb_stratas
Alice Chaucer, Countess of Salisbury and Duchess of Suffolk, is one of the very rare people, and the only woman, not born to nobility who became an important political player in the upheaval of fifteenth-century England.
Widowed, remarkably enough, at the age of 11, that ‘marriage’ nevertheless set her on the road to power and riches. Her second husband, the Earl of Salisbury, would die at the Siege of Orléans during the Hundred Years War.
Her third husband, William de la Pole, was Henry VI’s Chief Minister ‒ and paid for that allegiance with his life, murdered and thrown into the English Channel. Alice survived all this and more – including a state trial in 1451 – and at the same time was a patron of the arts, commissioning artworks depicting empowered historical female characters, notably St Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary. Alice possessed a large library.
Tomb of Alice Chaucer, Duchess of Suffolk
Church of St Mary the Virgin, Ewelme. (Wikimedia Commons)
As late as 1472, Alice became custodian of Margaret of Anjou, her former friend and patron. She ruthlessly protected the inheritance of her son John de la Pole, and three of his four sons would pursue the Yorkist claim to the throne against Henry VII: they would all die in the attempt.
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About the Author
Michèle Schindler studied at Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, reading English Studies and history with a focus on mediaeval studies. At the same time she worked as a language teacher, teaching English and German as a second language. In addition to English and German, she is fluent in French, and reads Latin. You can find Michèle on Facebook and Twitter @FLovellInfo
A fresh start for a new life. Newly pregnant, Emma is startled when her husband Luke announces they’re swapping homes with his parents, but the rural idyll where Luke grew up is a great place to start their family. Yet Luke’s manner suggests something odd is afoot, something that Emma can’t quite fathom.
Too many secrets, not enough truths
Linda Huber’s Pact of Silence is a gripping exploration of the enduring power of secrets. Darker than some of her books, this has plenty of suspense, betrayal, and redemption, drawing readers into a world where the past casts a long shadow.
The central character, Emma, uncovers a web of lies and deceit, forcing her to confront the painful truth about her husband's past.
Insightful and thought-provoking, Pact of Silence is a sensitive portrayal of grief, guilt, and forgiveness, and the impact of trauma on individuals and families. which I am happy to recommend.
Tony Riches
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About the Author
Linda Huber grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, but went to work in Switzerland for a year aged twenty-two, and has lived there ever since. Her day jobs have included working as a physiotherapist in hospitals and schools for handicapped children, and teaching English in a medieval castle. Linda’s writing career began in the nineties, when she had over fifty feel-good short stories published in women’s magazines. Her newest project is a series of feel-good novels set in her home area on the banks of Lake Constance in N.E. Switzerland. She really appreciates having the views admired by her characters right on her own doorstep! Find out more at Linda's website https://lindahuber.net/ and find her on Facebook and Twitter @LindaHuber19
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