Book Launch Review: Roman Life on Hadrian’s Wall by Claire Millington

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

With a fascinating selection of images and thoughtful insights, this book will inform and change how you think about everyday Roman life at this remote frontier, the most-visited Roman remains in Britain.

Claire Millington’s Roman Life on Hadrian's Wall is a refreshing look at one of the most iconic frontiers in history. While many texts focus heavily on the battles fought and the stones laid, Claire shifts the focus to the lived experience of the people who called Hadrian's Wall home.

The strength of this book is its inclusivity. Claire Millington talks about the entire community, and shows how Hadrian's Wall became like a string of connected ‘villages’. By synthesizing archaeological evidence with a narrative flair, she reveals a bustling world of families and camp followers, including the women and children who lived in the vici (civilian settlements) outside the forts, and merchant traders who kept the frontier supplied.

l particularly liked the stories of the "small finds", such as discarded shoes, personal letters and household pottery. These fragments of the past are transformed from museum exhibits into entry points for understanding Roman anxieties, celebrations - and mundane routines.

Whether you are a Roman historian or a casual reader interested in British heritage, this book is accessible, with an engaging narrative. An essential addition to any history lover's bookshelf. Claire Millington reminds us the grandeur of Rome wasn't only built on conquest, but on the quiet, resilient lives of individuals stationed at the edge of the known world.

Tony Riches

(A review copy was kindly provided by Amberley Publishing)

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About the Author

Dr Claire Millington is a Roman archaeologist, academic and writer. She has written fiction, non-fiction and poetry ever since winning the BBC Jackanory poetry competition aged 6 ½. Her love of Roman archaeology was sparked during a posting to Rome for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, after which she undertook a master’s degree through the Open University. Her PhD is from King’s College London where she is a Visiting Research Fellow.  She is a huge public archaeology fan so she was thrilled to work on the Time Team excavations of Broughton Roman villa (2021 and 2022), as well as surveying and recording foreshore archaeology as a volunteer with the Museum of London Archaeology Thames Discovery Project, and excavating Roman forts at Vindolanda. Find out more at https://clairemillington.com/ and follow Claire on Bluesky @clairemillington.bsky.social

Book launch Spotlight: The Jewel Keepers, by Sara Sheridan

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Men would kill for this treasure.The McKenzie women will guard it 

with their lives.

London, 1837:  When 25-year-old Araminta McKenzie-Moore is summoned from Richmond to her great aunt's deathbed in Edinburgh, it's the first time she's met her extended family. The McKenzie women, however, have been keeping a close eye on her. For they have a long, secret and dangerous history as Jewel Keepers to the Scottish Crown and they need Araminta to play her part to solve a puzzle which stretches back generations.

But the McKenzies are not alone in this high-stakes treasure hunt though history. They're being pursued. The last of her line, if Araminta succeeds, she will uncover something more valuable than mere jewels - a secret that will change the lives of all women living on this, the cusp of the Queen Victoria's rule.

Featuring real historical events and places amid its fiction, The Jewel Keepers is an immersive, evocative story tinged with romance and brimming with intrigue.

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About the Author

Sara Sheridan works in a wide range of media and genres but mostly historical and especially the stories of women. She loves exploring where our culture comes from. In 2018 she remapped Scotland according to women's history. Tipped in Company and GQ magazines, she was nominated for a Young Achiever Award. She has received a Scottish Library Award and has been shortlisted for the Saltire Book Prize and the Wilbur Smith Prize. Her work was included in the David Hume Institute's Summer Reading list 2019. She has sat on the committee for the Society of Authors in Scotland (where she lives) and on the board of '26' the campaign for the importance of words. She took part in 3 '26 Treasures' exhibitions at the V&A, London, The National Museum of Scotland and the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green. She occasionally blogs for the Guardian about her writing life, the Huffington Post about her activism as a writer and a feminist and puts her hand up to being a 'twitter evangelist'. From time to time she appears on radio, and has reported for BBC Radio 4's From Our Own Correspondent from both Tallin and Sharjah. Sara is a member of the Society of Authors and the Historical Writers Association. Find out more at Sara's website https://www.sarasheridan.com/

Book Launch Guest Post by Alison Morton, Author of HEROICA: Three women, three centuries, three reckonings (Roma Nova Thriller Series Book 12)

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Even the strongest state is vulnerable to its past: Three stories of the women of the Mitela family, descendants of the founders of Roma Nova, bound by blood and courage.

“What inspires you?” is a question I’m frequently asked in many guest posts, in podcast interviews, or at conferences. Perhaps the people asking are writers themselves, or wish to make a connection on an artistic and creative level or want to know the answer to life, the universe and everything. That last one’s easy: 42. (Apologies to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.) 

Let’s be serious. Well, for a moment.  I dread this question, not because I don’t want to reveal the secret identity of my silken-gowned muse, nor divulge her equally secret pearls of wisdom. Am I frightened she might run away, never to be seen again? No, I don’t want to let readers down with my answer. 

I confess – I don’t know. 

An inspiring thought or emotion can be anything and come from anywhere. For me, it’s like being ambushed. I often don’t have a clue until it drops into my head. When it does, it’s something shallow and mundane like being held on the phone in a queue, spotting a bargain or scoffing at a mistranslation at a tourist site. 

The long burn 

The Roma Nova books originated from a decades’ long fascination with Ancient Rome and women’s roles in the modern world but given it took more than thirty years to get the first words onto the computer screen (bypassing the typewriter), it can hardly be called a *moment* of inspiration. It was a slow-growing, but persistent, climbing plant. 

Fortuna, Capitoline Museum, Rome (Author photo)

Like all authors, whether they admit it or not, I drew on events, people and experiences from my life up to that moment to write that first book, INCEPTIO. We are all shaped by these experiences and by our background and values. 

Alison in the military 

There will always be a little bit of the author in her book however much any author claims to deny it. And if we don’t show that in our main character, we switch it into another prominent secondary character. We all live in our own little world at the centre of which is our own delightful/dreadful ego, so any self-expression like writing is bound to reflect it. 

Readers and bets 

After nine Roma Nova thrillers featuring tough and lively heroines, my readers demanded I write the foundation story of Roma Nova. Thus inspired, that spilled out into two books – JULIA PRIMA and EXSILIUM – set in the fourth century. 

In between, I wrote three modern thrillers based on Mel/Mélisende, a dual national Franco-British special forces heroine working for a European security service. Writing them was triggered (inspired?) by a bet from fellow author Conn Iggulden who had given me a fabulous front of cover endorsement for the fifth Roma Nova thriller, INSURRECTIO. 

So…HEROICA, out today(!) 

This new book of three stories was a case of inspiration via curiosity. I wanted to write a story featuring my original heroine, Carina, in one of her investigations. Her professional life wasn’t spent entirely on saving her country, but like most law enforcers had its fair number of routine cases. Of course, being Carina, the case turned out to be anything but routine.  

Why isn’t Revolution? a full-length novel? Because the story ended when it did. We can’t always insist on dragging a story out to 100,000 words when it doesn’t naturally end at 24,000. But what to do with it? It’s too long to be a short story and compared to my two novellas – CARINA (38,000 words) and NEXUS (39,000 words) – not enough for a novella. So I thought about adding a couple of historical long short stories from Roma Nova’s past, but staying within Carina’s family in order to have a connecting thread running through them.  

Honoria’s Battle is set near Vienna when that city was being besieged for the second time by forces from the Ottoman Empire. It was hailed as an existential fight by Christian Europe against the tide of Moslem Turks. Historians continue to disagree about the battle’s significance but to people of the time it was one of survival. Of course, Roma Nova was going to be involved! Researching characters such as the ebullient John Sobieski, King of Poland and the best commander of his day, was fascinating. 

The Idealist connects with Giuseppe Mazzini’s attempt to form a new Roman Republic and unite Italy in the nineteenth century – another time of crisis and transition. It’s also the story of unrealistic expectations, family secrets and pragmatism. The inspiration was curiosity about the past and wondering what a terrible threat of the past coming back to bite those in the present would do to them. 

In brief 

Inspiration for me is a formless cloud, wisps, really, wafting around in my mind with no fixed abode. It takes something to come along – a bad film, five words in an email from a Very Famous Author, idle attention to a television report of a coup – to get the cloud to clump and produce a bolt of lightning. Usually, it’s a little crackle at the back of the sky that grows into a steady blaze. 

Alison Morton

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About the Author

Alison Morton writes award-winning thrillers featuring tough but compassionate heroines. Her twelve-book Roma Nova series is set in an imaginary European country where a remnant of the Roman Empire has survived into the 21st century and is ruled by women who face conspiracy, revolution and heartache but use a sharp line in dialogue. She blends her fascination for Ancient Rome with six years’ military service and a life of reading crime, historical and thriller fiction. On the way, she collected a BA in modern languages and an MA in history. Alison lives in Poitou in France, the home of Mélisende, the heroine of her two contemporary thrillers, Double Identity, Double Pursuit and Double Stakes For the latest news, subscribe to her newsletter at https://www.alison-morton.com/newsletter/ and receive 'Welcome to Alison Morton’s Thriller Worlds’ as a thank you gift.  Connect with Alison on her World of Thrillers site: https://alison-morton.com and Alison’s writing blog https://alisonmortonauthor.com/. You can find Alison on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky @alisonmorton.bsky.social and Twitter/X: @alison_morton

Charlotte Brontë and Elizabeth Gaskell: Their Lives, Friendship and Writings, by Susan Dunne

Available from Amazon UK 

and pre-order Amazon US

Charlotte Brontë and Elizabeth Gaskell illuminate a powerful 19th century friendship whose influence reshaped literary legacy and critical perception.

Charlotte Brontë and Elizabeth Gaskell shared one of the most remarkable literary friendships of the 19th century, one that ultimately led to the creation of one of the most controversial literary biographies ever written. 

The life of Charlotte Brontë continues to spark debate over 150 years after its publication, but the deeper story of the friendship that inspired it has never been fully explored until now. In this fascinating and well-researched narrative, the intertwined lives of these two literary greats come to life. What drew them together despite their contrasting personalities? 

How did they influence each other’s work, navigate the challenges of publishing, and contend with the harsh judgment of critics? Did Elizabeth Gaskell’s well-meaning interventions, both personal and professional, shape the course of Charlotte’s life in ways never before considered? 

Through letters, historical records, and fresh insights, this book reveals the warmth, respect, and complexities of their brief but profound connection. A tale of admiration, resilience, and literary legacy, it sheds new light on the enduring impact of a friendship that helped shape our understanding of one of literature’s most beloved figures.

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About the Author

Susan Dunne was born near Manchester and lives near Haworth. A lifelong Brontë and Gaskell enthusiast, she wrote her undergraduate thesis on the portrayal of the working class in Elizabeth Gaskell and studied Victorian literature at postgraduate level. She has worked- amongst other things - as a teacher and journalist, her work appearing in numerous regional and national publications.

Book Review: Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest, by Sharon Bennett Connolly

Available from Amazon UK

and pre-order from Amazon US

Daughters of kings were often used to seal treaty alliances and forge peace with England’s enemies. Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters from the Conquest explores the lives of these young women, how they followed the stereotype, and how they sometimes managed to escape it. 

Here’s a good question for when it’s a bit quiet in the pub: Who was the first royal princess? One of the many interesting things I learned from Princesses of the Early Middle Ages was ‘Princess’ was the general title ‘Princess’ wasn’t used for daughters of the monarch until 1642, when King Charles I created the title "Princess Royal" for his eldest daughter, Mary.

Having read Sharon Bennett Connolly ‘s earlier book I was surprised by this slim volume, but then found this is ‘part one of two’, with the ‘sister’ book, Princesses of the Later Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Plantagenets to follow.

Highly readable and entertaining, this is the sort of history book I wish I had as a boy. It can’t have been easy to navigate the often obscure details of the early Anglo-Saxon princesses, yet this is Sharon Bennett Connolly’s specialist area. The result is one of the most comprehensive accounts you will find.

I challenge anyone with an interest in medieval Britain to not find something they will learn from this book, and I look forward to the next instalment. Highly recommended.

Tony Riches

(I would like to thank the publishers, Pen & Sword History, for prividing an advance review copy/)

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About the Author

Sharon Bennett Connolly is the best-selling author of historical non-fiction. Her latest book, Scotland’s Medieval Queens, will be published on 30 January 2025. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, she also writes the popular history blog, www.historytheinterestingbits.com and co-hosts the podcast A Slice of Medieval with historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Sharon regularly gives talks on Women's History; she is a feature writer for All About History, Tudor Places and Living Medieval magazines and her TV work includes Australian Television's 'Who Do You Think You Are?' You can find out more about Sharon's books on Amazon and follow her on Facebook, Twitter/X and Bluesky

Book Launch Guest Post: Guardians of the Cosmic Clocks: Wings of the Gods, by Jabril Yousef Faraj

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Dive into an adventure of epic proportions, as the Guardians brave the Greek Underworld, commune with the Oracle of Delphi and face their fate on Mount Olympus. Encounter Plato, Heracles and the ghost of Pythagoras as our champions sail the Aegean and battle mythical beings in this sprawling Young Adult Fantasy.

Before I could read, my mother read to us. She worked a paper route in the dark hours of the morning, long before the rest of the world stirred, and by the time she sat down at night with my brothers and me curled up around her, exhaustion was already starting to set in. She'd open The Chronicles of Narnia and her voice would grow softer, words slurring as sleep tugged at her eyes. But she kept reading. Page after page, night after night.

And we were transfixed. Children no older than us stepped through a wardrobe into a world of talking lions and eternal winters. They crossed dimensions. Had grand adventures. And as my mother's tired voice carried us through Narnia, I learned something I've never forgotten: stories are how we survive the ordinary. Stories are how we imagine ourselves into something more.

Narnia taught me to dream and, even as a kid, I understood there were more important things than money and toys. We didn't grow up wealthy, or well-connected. We didn’t have nice things. What we did have was each other—generous angels in our community, a neighborhood library that felt like home and long summer nights spent playing outside till the streetlights came on.

We were raised on books and wonder, and stories shaped the way I see the world. Now, I'm publishing my second novel because I believe we need new timeless stories for a contemporary audience—stories that excite and inspire the next generation of readers the way Narnia inspired me.

Yes, Guardians of the Cosmic Clocks: Wings of the Gods is about time travel, teleportation and good versus evil. But it also speaks to something deeper about the human experience. It tackles feelings of longing, loyalty, insufficiency and self-esteem. Themes of humanity vs. authority and resolve in the face of failure permeate this epic journey across Classical Greece.

At its heart, this story is a journey within. A journey to the innermost places, where we ask ourselves whether we're truly up to the task. Where we rise to the challenge and spur ourselves on to new heights. It's about loyalty to those we couldn't do without, and the transformation that occurs when we accept the path before us, no matter the cost.

I hope dreamers everywhere can see themselves in Zya and Elijah, and feel inspired to live boldly. This is why I write. Because I believe in us. Because the pen is mightier than the sword, and no matter how hard you try, you can never kill the truth.

Jabril Yousef Faraj

Guardians of the Cosmic Clocks: Wings of the Gods is the sequel to 2024's award-winning Guardians of the Cosmic Clocks: The Emerald Tablets. A finalist for the Children's Book International Award in Fantasy and runner-up at the London Book Festival, Wings of the Gods is already receiving recognition. Can the Guardians rise above and emerge victorious? Grab your copy and find out how the story ends!

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About the Author

Jabril Yousef Faraj is an award-winning Young Adult Fantasy author. Born in Los Angeles and raised in the Midwest, the nonbinary, Arab-American artist is an Edward R. Murrow award recipient and alumnus of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism. His fiction debut, Guardians of the Cosmic Clocks: The Emerald Tablets, won the 2025 Literary Global Children's Book Award for Best Young Adult Novel, was a finalist for the Children's Book International Award in Fantasy, and runner-up at the New York Book Festival. The second book in the series, Guardians of the Cosmic Clocks: Wings of the Gods, has already earned international recognition. Follow Jabril on X, Instagram  and YouTube 

Special Guest Post by Louise Morrish, Author of The Library of War and Peace

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US 

1915: As the war rages on outside, it is the battle within that must be won, through the quiet strength of words. Josie Everley works on board the ill-fated RMS Lusitania, as a library stewardess. When tragedy strikes, Josie washes up in London, finding work as a library assistant at a military hospital in Endell Street. Here, Dr Lucinda Garland and her all-female team of medics provide pioneering treatment for wounded soldiers. The hospital is home to a visionary library, run by a trailblazing librarian – Miss Godson. The library is a sanctuary for soldiers haunted by the horrors of war, where literature is prescribed as medicine, helping to cure the men’s anguish.

The Library of War and Peace is my love letter to libraries. I worked as a librarian for nearly three decades, and during those years I’ve experienced all sorts of libraries – public libraries, private collections, primary and secondary school libraries, and once an eighteenth-century haunted library. (I only lasted a year there!)

Books are in my blood, ink runs in my veins, and when I discovered the true story of the Endell Street Military Hospital library, I knew I had to write this novel. Endell Street Hospital was groundbreaking in so many ways. It was set up in 1915 by Dr Louisa Garrett Anderson and Dr Flora Murray, two pioneering doctors who defied an initially sceptical War Office to establish their own Women’s Hospital Corps.

Having created an all-female-run military hospital in France (which was the inspiration behind my previous novel ‘Women of War’), the doctors and their team saved thousands of soldiers’ lives, and the War Office then asked them to replicate their successful model back in Britain. This Dr Garrett Anderson and Dr Murray duly did, renovating and equipping a disused workhouse in Endell Street.

From the start, their new military hospital had its own library, which was run by two prominent members of the Women Writers’ Suffrage League. The WWSL had been founded in 1908 by Cicely Hamilton and Bessie Hatton, the aim to obtain the franchise on the same terms as men, and its members sought to do this through writing.

Elizabeth Robins, an American actress and writer, was one of the first members of the WWSL, and its first president. The British novelist Beatrice Harraden was another of the organisation’s members and she served as librarian at Endell Street from 1915 until the hospital closed, joined by Elizabeth Robins for the first year or so.

The philosophy of Endell Street library was a reader-led one. The librarians catered for the patients’ requests when it came to their reading matter, rather than to impose their idea of what might be termed ‘improving’ books upon them. 

Many men feared having their lack of education or illiteracy exposed, so the librarians would take the time to sit at their bedsides, talking to the wounded soldiers to find out more about their interests and background. In this way, the librarians could make informed recommendations, as well as meet specific requests, and this became a unique opportunity to experience care based on books and reading.

The library was a huge success, and in many ways broke the ground for our modern bibliotherapy today. The art of healing through reading books continues to be a powerful form of therapy, and libraries play a fundamental role in this. What more fitting way to honour libraries than in a book?

The Library of War and Peace is a story of two strong, determined, courageous characters, both of whom are inspired by real women. The first, Edie Lawrence, is a young apprentice journalist and suffragette. Her character is based on the real Dorothy Lawrence, whose incredible exploits during World War One inspired me to write Women of War. The second character, Josie Everley, is drawn largely from my imagination, but also inspired by all the library stewardesses who worked ocean liners like RMS Lusitania.

Miss Gordon the chief librarian in my novel is very loosely based on Beatrice Harraden, who managed the Endell Street Library from 1915 until the end of the War. Dr Lucinda Garland and Dr Flora Murray are inspired by real doctors – Louisa Garrett Anderson and Flora Murray – whose brave achievements spurred me to write ‘Women of War’.

Harry Levinson is wholly from my imagination, although there were freelance war correspondents like him struggling to report the truth from the battlefields, their words censored.

Dorothy Larwrence

Endell Street Military Hospital in London is no more, replaced by flats and shops. But if you keep your eyes peeled, there are clues to its existence still around. As a librarian myself, I absolutely loved the research involved with this novel. 

Discovering how the librarians at Endell Street sourced and supplied literature to the patients, and how they applied pioneering bibliotherapy to help heal the soldiers’ mental trauma, was fascinating to me. I use elements of bibliotherapy in my own work, and countless times I’ve experienced firsthand how the right book placed in the right hands at the right time can change someone’s life.

I devoured all the books I could find on the subject of the hospital, the library, and bibliotherapy. Particularly helpful was Wendy Moore’s No Man’s Land – The Trailblazing Women Who Ran Britain’s Most Extraordinary Military Hospital During World War One.

Also useful: Dorothy Lawrence’s memoir: Sapper Dorothy: the only British Woman Soldier in the Royal Engineers 51st Division 79th Tunnelling Co. during the First World War
And Flora Murray’s memoir – Women as Army Surgeons

Louise Morrish

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About the Author

Louise Morrish is an author, bookseller, and creative writing tutor from Hampshire. She writes stories inspired by the lives of women in the past, who achieved extraordinary things, but whom history has forgotten. Her debut novel Operation Moonlight was published by Penguin in 2022. Her next novels, Women of War and The Library of War and Peace, are available now. Join Louise’s monthly newsletter on www.louisemorrish.com for free book giveaways, publishing news and writing advice. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter @LouiseMorrish1 and Instagram @LouiseMorrish_Books.

Historical Fiction Spotlight: In Darkness Born: Book One of The Breaking Wheel, The Story of Katherine Parr, by G. Lawrence

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

The world would make her a survivor... Destiny would make her a Queen.

England, 1525: Born into a time of religious upheaval and political turmoil, Katherine Parr grows up in a loving family. Sheltered yet never kept ignorant of the dangers which surround her, Katherine secretly dreams of a life at court and a love such as the King possesses for the magnetic Anne Boleyn.

Sent north to become a bride at the age of sixteen, Katherine enters a household alien to the one she grew up in, where the overbearing personality of her new father-in-law holds sway, terrifying others into submission. 

Yet Katherine refuses to be intimidated and a curious friendship is born, exposing Katherine to new thought on religion which is entering England... new thought which could place her in grave danger.

Through trials of marriage, faith and death, Katherine Parr will journey, seeking to understand her heart and her soul as about her the world is transformed as the King breaks from Rome to take Anne Boleyn as his wife, dividing England and its people, opening the way for bloodshed and betrayal.

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About the Author

Gemma Lawrence is an independently published author living in Cornwall in the UK. She studied literature at university says, 'I write mainly Historical Fiction, with an emphasis on the Tudor and Medieval periods and have a particular passion for women of history who inspire me'. Her first book in the Elizabeth of England Chronicles series is The Bastard Princess (The Elizabeth of England Chronicles Book 1).Gemma can be found on Twitter @TudorTweep and Bluesky @glawrence.bsky.social‬

Book Launch Spotlight: The Fourth Queen: A story of courage, betrayal, and hidden histories at the heart of the Tudor court by Nicola Cornick

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

1539: King Henry VIII is intent on destroying the Catholic church, and with the dissolution of the monasteries, beautiful young prioress Marris is about to lose everything. She knows she has to do whatever it takes to keep her sisters safe, even agreeing to marry the wealthy man who has been gifted the priory land.

But when she marries him, she also finds herself catapulted into the court of the king. And her mastery of the German language makes her an ideal companion for his new queen, Anna of Cleves. It’s destined to be a short marriage… But after the divorce, when Anna finds herself in trouble, it will be Marris she turns to.

Will Marris risk her life to help the fourth queen? Because defying the king is the highest treason, and keeping this secret will put everything Marris has fought to keep safe in the gravest danger…

At the heart of the Tudor court, love and loyalty are the most dangerous weapons of all.

'An engaging, beautifully-crafted romance' Alison Weir

'Wow! I have no other word for this story which has totally blown me away – it is a masterclass in timeslip writing and I loved it!' Christina Courtenay

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About the Author

About the Author

Nicola Cornick grew up in Yorkshire and studied History at the University of London and at Ruskin College Oxford where she was awarded a Distinction for her Masters dissertation on heroes and hero myths. She worked in academia for a number of years before becoming a full-time writer. She is the author of acclaimed dual-time mysteries as well as of award-winning historical romance. When she isn’t writing, Nicola volunteers as a guide and researcher for the National Trust at the 17th century hunting lodge Ashdown House. She has given talks and chaired panels for a number of festivals and conferences including the London Book Fair, the Historical Novel Society and the Sharjah Festival of Literature.  Nicola also gives talks on history topics to WIs, history societies and other interested groups. In her spare time she is a bookseller at Wantage Bookshop and a puppy walker for the Guide Dogs charity. Find out more at Nicola's website www.nicolacornick.co.uk and follow her on TwitterX @NicolaCornick

Special Guest Post by Sharon Bennett Connolly, Author of Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest

Available from Amazon UK

and pre-order from Amazon US

Daughters of kings were often used to seal treaty alliances and forge peace with England’s enemies. Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters from the Conquest explores the lives of these young women, how they followed the stereotype, and how they sometimes managed to escape it. 

The Role of a Princess

Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest is the first part of the book that was designed to be The Medieval Princess – except it turned out to be a much bigger project than I ever anticipated and was far too long for one book. So, out of one project, The Medieval Princess: Royal Daughters from the Conquest to the Wars of the Roses, 

I have two books. Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest is the first instalment, looking at the daughters of Harold II, William the Conqueror and England’s kings from 1066 to the end of the reign of King John. I should have known, of course, that I could not fit all these amazing women into one volume, after all, my inspiration for the books was Mary Anne Everett Green’s comprehensive, six volume series The Lives of the Princesses of England from the Norman Conquest. 

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Mary Anne for the work she did in bringing these women into the light.

The inspiration for this book, and its sister, is rather odd. It comes from a meme that appears on social media every once in a while, which is something along the lines of ‘My daughter wanted me to treat her more like a princess. So, I married her to a stranger to strengthen the alliance with Poland!’ This is, essentially, the vision we have of a medieval princess. She is a pawn, nothing more than a bargaining tool in the world of international politics as far as her parents were concerned. These royal women appear to have had two options: to marry a foreign prince or to become a nun. But was that really the case?

The two daughters of King Harold II, who was killed at the Battle of Hastings in October 1066, did not have the guidance of their father when their fates were decided, but they were influenced by the time in which they lived. Growing to adulthood in the aftermath of the Norman Conquest one of the sisters, Gytha, left England with her paternal grandmother and was eventually married to Vladimir II Monomakh of Kyivan Rus, a union most likely arranged by her Danish cousin, King Swein Estrithson. Gytha’s sister, Gunhild, remained in England in the convent at Wilton, which was patronised by her aunt Edith of Wessex, Edward the Confessor’s queen. 

There is some doubt whether Gunhild was ever intended for convent life. Wilton was an abbey renowned for the education of young noblewomen who did not necessarily go on to take their vows. And Gunhild certainly did not. She appears to have led a rather unconventional life as the mistress of, first, Alan the Red and then his brother, Alan the Black. Whether she ever married either brother is still disputed.

Harold’s daughters may not have had the guidance of their father, but his shadow, as the defeated and dead king of England, must have been long. It would certainly have affected their marriage prospects. Marriage with Gunhild or Gytha did not bring an accompanying alliance with England. And Gytha’s status as a member of the Danish extended royal family was only significant enough to bring her a marriage with the son of a younger son of a dynasty at the far reaches of Europe, notwithstanding that circumstance and family deaths made Vladimir II Monomakh far more influential than could have been foreseen at the time of the wedding.

Of William the Conqueror’s four known, undisputed daughters, two married French lords – the counts of Blois and Brittany – one was dedicated to the Church as a child and the fourth joined a convent after several failed marriage proposals. A possible fifth daughter may have been named Matilda or Agatha and may have been betrothed to a Spanish prince – or not; which just about sums up the problems faced when writing about women who lived 950 years ago. The information is sketchy, to put it mildly.

King Stephen also dedicated his youngest daughter to the Church, sending her to a convent when she was just 6 or 7 years old. Although she took to convent life, Marie was violently dragged from it when she became the last surviving child of King Stephen and therefore Countess of Boulogne in her own right. As Stephen’s heir, she was rich and valuable, and way too dangerous to be allowed to remain unmarried, even if she was a nun. She had a claim to England’s throne and that claim needed to be controlled and contained. Interestingly, after she had provided her husband with two daughters to continue the family line, Marie was finally able to obtain a divorce and return to the cloisters, leaving her husband, Matthew of Alsace, to raise the children.

As the only legitimate daughter of Henry I, Stephen’s predecessor, Empress Matilda was never destined for a convent. Indeed, she achieved the heights few princesses would ever reach, as Holy Roman Empress. And she so nearly became England’s first crowned queen regnant. But despite being proclaimed Lady of the English in 1141, 

 Empress Matilda

Matilda was never able to consolidate her position as England’s ruler. And, although she did not have a daughter of her own, the empress’s three granddaughters, the daughters of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, fulfilled what has come to be seen as the traditional role of a princess, marrying into foreign lands to forge alliances that are strengthened by that familial bond. 

King John’s daughters, in turn, were destined for the same roles, marrying into Germany, Wales and Scotland. All except the youngest. Eleanor, who was no more than a babe in arms when her father died. She was married at the age of 8 to William Marshal II, to bring that powerful magnate into the royal family. And her second husband, Simon de Montfort? Well, that was a love match which would causes its own problems, when family disharmony and political upheaval would result in the Second Barons’ War.

All those mentioned so far are the legitimate children of the kings of England, but the illegitimate daughters were no less significant. Although not, technically, princesses, they were the daughters of kings and had the added advantage, as far as their father was concerned, of creating a familial link with the royal family without passing on a claim to the throne.

Joan, Lady of Wales

Young women such as Sybilla of Normandy, daughter of Henry I, and Joan, Lady of Wales, daughter of King John, still played significant diplomatic roles,

bringing England’s neighbours – and frequent enemies – Scotland and Wales, into the fold. Of course, sometimes plans went awry. Henry I’s daughter, Juliane, went rogue, firing a crossbow bolt at her father in a failed attempt to kill him, after her husband rebelled.

In all these stories, there is little evidence the girls themselves were consulted about their futures. Marriage planes were made, then broken, then made again, throughout their childhoods, as alliances were made and broken. But they were so much more than pampered princesses. They were raised for a duty of service to the crown, and to their families. These girls can be seen as the original Diplomatic Corps. 

They were raised to be ambassadors, to be the living link between their husbands and fathers, between their homeland and the lands they ruled as consorts. Their marriages were the demonstrable intent that both sides desired that an alliance or a peace treaty would be permanent. These girls were not sent off to foreign lands, never to be thought of or seen again; their whole purpose was to maintain that link with their father and their homeland, to be the diplomatic channel that brought peace or prevented war. 

On the whole, they were rather successful at it.

Sharon Bennett Connolly

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About the Author

Sharon Bennett Connolly is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and best-selling author of 8 historical non-fiction books. As well as writing the popular history blog, www.historytheinterestingbits.com, Sharon co-hosts the podcast A Slice of Medieval, alongside historical novelist Derek Birks. Sharon regularly gives talks on women's history for historical groups, festivals and in schools; her book Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest is a recommended text for teaching the Norman Conquest in the National Curriculum. Sharon is a feature writer for All About History, Tudor Places and Living Medieval magazines and her radio and TV work includes the BBC and Australian Television's Who Do You Think You Are?  Find out more at Sharon's Blog: https://historytheinterestingbits.com/ and find her on Facebook, Twitter: @Thehistorybits and BlueSky: @thehistorybits.bsky.social

Blog Tour Interview with Alison Huntingford, Author of Beyond the Dark Oceans

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

A family united, a family divided… In 1906, the Huntingford family leaves England behind, crossing dark oceans in search of hope and opportunity in a new land. Canada promises a fresh start but for the eldest son, Georgy, it also brings hardship, responsibility, and a future shaped by forces far beyond his control.

I'm pleased to welcome author Alison Huntingford to The Writing Desk:

Tell us about your latest book.

My latest book is called Beyond the Dark Oceans and is based on a true tale from my own family history. In 1906, the Huntingford family leaves England for a hopeful new life in Canada, but for eldest son Georgy, the promise of opportunity quickly becomes a test of endurance, responsibility, and fate. As he comes of age amid the hardships of immigrant life, the outbreak of the First World War pulls him back across the ocean and into a world forever changed by loss and sacrifice.

When Georgy’s brother disappears in the chaos of war, grief and uncertainty fracture the family he is fighting to hold together. Reunited with his cousin Nellie, Georgy finds solace in a love as powerful as it is forbidden—one that offers hope in the darkest of times while threatening to tear his family apart.

What is your preferred writing routine?

I am terrible! I don’t have a strict routine but have to wait until I am inspired. Sometimes I may go for weeks without writing a thing, and then write frantically every day at any time, even in the middle of the night. (I have learnt to write in the dark, though it is often hard to decipher it the next morning!) Sometimes I am inspired whilst I am driving and I have to pull over and scribble it down before I forget it.  I always write the first draft by hand with pen and paper, then type it up and amend/edit it as I go.

What advice do you have for new writers?

My advice for new writers is to just try it and see what happens! A book I found very useful and inspiring whilst I was starting out was Steven King’s book ‘On Writing – A Memoir of the Craft’ where he says there is no right or wrong. Use everything at your disposal and experiment. Be bold, be brave and believe in yourself! I would say the same, just go for it. Why not start with a short story? If you have a supportive local writers’ group then this helps. I run the South Hams Authors Network where we come together to share ideas and opportunities to promote and publish our work. This has helped inspire many local writers to continue, even though it is not a creative writing group.

What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?

I find I raise most awareness by going out and doing talks at local venues, such as libraries, bookshops, WIs and literary festivals. I love talking to people about my work and find my enthusiasm raises awareness better than anything. I passionately believe in my stories because they are based on real people and real events, and I think this is something readers can relate to. The person-to-person approach is very important.

Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research.

The most unexpected thing I discovered whilst doing my research was the fact that when people emigrated they were often sent to quarantine facilities when they arrived in Canada. I was quite shocked by the harshness of the conditions that immigrants were placed in, the genders being separated, the disinfectant procedures and the frequent medical examinations, with very little privacy.

What was the hardest scene you remember writing?

The hardest scene in this novel to write was the one where Georgy tells his love Nellie, that she must forget about him, as he is going overseas to war and may not return. He is thinking of her happiness and wants her to be free to love again, even though he loves her. Both characters are crying as this happens and so was I as I wrote it! I wanted to make it delicate and sympathetic without being melo-dramatic, and it is hard to get the touch just right, but I feel pleased with this scene. I think I managed to do what I intended.

What are you planning to write next? 

I’m not sure, but I am researching another area of my family history and will see if it throws up any interesting stories. I also write occasional short stories on an eco-fantasy theme! I only write when I am inspired by a story, never for purely commercial reasons.

Alison Huntingford

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About the Author

Alison Huntingford is a writer with a deep passion for family history and storytelling. With a background rooted in the rich traditions of the Huntingford family, Alison seeks to honour the stories passed down through generations. She is the author of a successful series of works that explore historical and personal narratives. She is an only child of two only children and so has always felt a distinct lack of family. This has inspired her work. After an upheaval in her personal life, Alison achieved a degree in humanities with literature through the Open University which helped to give her a new start. A teaching career followed which then led naturally to writing. She is now retired from full-time work, but busier than ever. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their pets, listening to music, going to the cinema, and gardening on her allotment. She also runs the South Hams Authors Network, a local writers collective based in South Devon. Find out more at https://alisonhuntingford.com  anf find Alison on  Twitter / X ,  Facebook and Bluesky @alisonhuntingford.bsky.social

Special Guest Post by Philippa Lacey, Founder and Managing Director, British History Tours and Events

It was 20th May 2018 and I was sat in Covent Garden, at a table set out on the cobbles, a glass of champagne, the first I had ever bought for myself, on the table in front of me. I couldn’t remember the last time that I had felt this proud of something I had achieved! Just one hour earlier I had dropped my first ever tour guests back into London and we’d said our final, or so I thought, (more on that later) goodbyes. The Anne Boleyn Tour had been 2 years in the planning but had started as an idea 6 years before that, and now I had done it! 

My vision had always been very clear; historical tours based on a person or period in history, the story told in the places it unfolded. There’s something about combining history and travel that heightens both interests, a reason to visit somewhere and a greater appreciation of each destination. I had been “travelling history” for over 15 years when I began British History Tours and knew how fun, but incredibly tiring, it could be. So, I decided luxury hotels and gorgeous food also had to be part of the package, with all the arrangements taken care of so that guests could simply absorb the places and the history without any other concerns.

There were 2 particular things that would prove true over the coming years, things I could not have imagined as I sat there in Covent Garden that day. The first was that I would be welcoming people back onto what I had billed as “once-in-a-lifetime” experiences, for a 2nd, 3rd, even 7th and 8th time! Those ‘final’ goodbyes turned out not to be so, with almost all of the guests on that first tour returning within the following 4 years - it would have been sooner but Covid prevented us touring in 2020 and 2021. The second is how many close friendships are formed, with many people who had travelled alone returning on future tours with a friend they had made on a previous one.

As I write this, 8 years later, I am about to embark on our 16th tour, and 8th ‘The Anne Boleyn Tour,’ and I can proudly report a rebooking rate of 70%, a 5* guest rating record and 2 industry awards! The Anne Boleyn Tour has grown and developed over the years but the fundamentals which make it our flagship tour, and has people returning to repeat it, are still in place. As the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, Hever Castle provides the perfect backdrop for a tour focussed on understanding Anne. Where better to reside as we explore her life and downfall? 

Hever Castle Gatehouse

We hire the entire Astor Wing of Hever Castle (the guest wing built by the Astor’s to entertain guests including the future Queen, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon) for our private use, and even banquet in the Great Hall of the castle during our stay. We are joined for the entire tour by our historian-in-residence, Gareth Russell who works exclusively with us, as well as other top historians such as Dr Tracy Borman OBE, Dr Elizabeth Norton, and Prof James Clark. 

Dining in the Great Hall at Hever Castle

Fully escorted tours offer so much relaxation - our guests don’t have to think about timings, admissions, how to get anywhere, whether there’s going to be anywhere to grab food or go to the toilet! Some even come on my tours not reading the itinerary and leaving it as a surprise - “We trust you Philippa!” is what they say, how wonderful is that?! 

Each year we embark on new tours, exploring different topics and places, and covering various parts of the UK. This October we are in Edinburgh for ‘The Royal Scotland Tour’ where we are exploring 14 historical locations linked with Royal history in Scotland. Next year we have another brand-new tour ‘The Wars of the Roses Tour,’ and an extended version of ‘The Rise of the Tudors Tour,’ which we first ran in 2023. Incredibly beautiful and evocative places with rich histories fill the British Isles and I am often spoilt for choice as to which to include. I never underestimate how valuable it is to our guests to see somewhere on the itinerary that was on their bucket list but they thought they’d never get to visit. 

Many destinations are not easy to access, especially for the overseas traveller or anyone relying on public transport, and I have this in mind when I design every itinerary - where can I take guests to, that they wouldn’t easily access otherwise? Take remote places like Pembroke Castle (The Rise of the Tudors Tour, 2024 and 2027) for example, a 2-hour drive west of Cardiff, or the Elizabethan gem, Harvington Hall, in Worcestershire (The Elizabeth I Tour, 2022 and The Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots Tour, 2023) which isn’t far from the nearest large town of Kidderminster but still requires a car to reach and a confidence to drive down a single-track country lane.

In a world increasingly dominated by AI, real-life experiences; putting your feet on the ground, touching the walls, and meeting other people with the same interests, are so important, and ultimately more enjoyable! That’s certainly how I feel, and I am here for everyone who wants to know the joys of following in the footsteps of history.

If I may get serious for a little while, with something as fun as history travel it can be easy to forget that this is a travel product which should only be organised by professional companies. I implore guests to implement due diligence when choosing a tour company. Despite there being a lot of regulation around the UK travel industry it is largely self enrolled, there is no overriding body ensuring that a tour firm is following any of the regulations. All tour operators operating in the UK should provide financial failure protection, among other things, so, if the one you are looking at doesn’t mention how they provide this then it is highly likely that they are not complying with any of the regulations and if anything goes wrong, you will have no one to complain to and may lose your money.

My company, British History Tours is the trading name of History Holidays Ltd which is a member of the Travel Trade Association, part of The Travel Network Group which provides full financial failure protection to my customers. 

 

Back to the fun stuff! This year I am working on some new ideas to expand what we offer, not just in terms of topics, eras and locations but how our guests can explore history, and with more options to suit more budgets. The ideas are currently in development but I hope to share more soon. 

You can find details of all our tours at www.britishhistorytours.com, follow me on Instagram (@british_history_tours), Facebook (@BritishHistoryTours) and of course Substack (@BritishHistory). I’d love to share more history with you!

Philippa Lacey

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About the Author

Philippa Lacey is the founder and Managing Director of British History Tours, an award-winning tour company creating luxury history experiences. She is an engaging history communicator with over 130k followers over the British History platforms and podcast. She lives in Worcestershire with her family. 

Everyday Life in History: Practical Living History: Philippa talks with Ruth Goodman at Harvington Hall: