Historical Fiction Spotlight: The Stone Rose (The She-Wolves Trilogy Book 3) by Carol McGrath

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

London, 1350. Agnes, daughter of a stonemason, is struggling to keep her father's trade in a city decimated by plague. And then she receives a mysterious message from the disgraced Queen Isabella: mother of King Edward III, and widow of Edward II. Isabella has a task that only Agnes can fulfil. She wants her truth to be told.

Much has been whispered of the conflicts in Isabella and Edward's marriage. Her greed and warmongering. His unspoken love for male favourites. But as Agnes listens to Isabella, she learns that she can be of help to the queen - but can either woman choose independence, follow her own desires, and survive?

The sweeping third instalment of Carol McGrath's acclaimed She-Wolves Trilogy: the gripping series exploring the tumultous lives and loves of three queens of England - and of three women who lived in their shadow.

Based on the extraordinary true story of the female stonemason

who carved a queen's tomb!

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About the Author

Based in England, Carol McGrath writes Historical Fiction. She studied History at Queens University Belfast, has an MA in Creative Writing from the Seamus Heaney Centre, Queens University Belfast and an English MPhil from Royal Holloway, University of London. The Handfasted Wife is her debut novel, first in a trilogy titled The Daughters of Hastings. The second and third novels The Swan-Daughter and The Betrothed Sister have followed and are now available on amazon and in bookshops. Carol is an historian specialised in The Medieval Era. Her first love, however, is writing. She is an avid reader and reviewer. Find out more at her website www.carolcmcgrath.co.uk and follow Carol on Twitter @carolmcgrath

Special Guest Interview with Lissa Johnston, Author of Just Say Yes: Book One, The Centé Conspiracy Trilogy

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

An unsuspecting teen is drawn into a resistance movement determined to expose a powerful but secretive group that is controlling the public through the food supply.

I'm pleased to welcome author Lissa Johnston to The Writing Desk:

Tell us about your latest book

My latest book is entitled Just Say Yes. It is the first book in a YA action adventure trilogy. The title is inspired by Nancy Reagan's Just Say No anti-drug program back in the day. It's the story of a young man, Brody Morgan, whose family is in the food industry in an alternate reality where fresh food is now illegal due to a massive food contamination outbreak that killed thousands when Brody was young. Brody leads an uneventful and somewhat lonely life. He has been pressed into service from an early age, shilling for his father's corporation in commercials and public appearances. But when he is drawn into an underground group determined to overthrow the powers that be and make fresh food legal again, his life is turned upside down.

What is your preferred writing routine?

I am so thankful that we are retired and I have very few other constraints on my time. That's sort of a good news/bad news situation. As many retirees will probably tell you, the days start to blend together. I don't really have anything like days off or weekends. I write, or do some sort of writing business related activity every day. If I'm not writing, I'm editing, or marketing. I start the day clearing the decks, and once I feel I have eliminated distractions, I write.

What advice do you have for new writers?

Thanks to the Internet, we have an abundance of resources available to us to train ourselves in the craft, to network with other writers, and to publish our work. There need not be any obstacles or gatekeepers once you have honed your skills. The only thing stopping us from achieving our writing goals is lack of will.

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

I wish I had a good answer to that. Presently I am focusing on organic growth and building personal relationships.

Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research

The inspiration for the underlying theme of this trilogy is Morgan Spurlock's documentary Super Size Me. That led me to several other books about the insidious nature of the processed food industry. It is shocking what people will do to satisfy the stockholders and plump up that bottom line. I wrote a blog post about my journey for this project if you want to get more into the nitty gritty.

What are you planning to write next?

I'm a multi-genre writer. My next project is an adult historical fiction about a young woman from 17th century France who accidentally stows away on a ship bound for the New World.

Lissa Johnston

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About the Author

Lissa Johnston has a Master’s in history from The University of Texas at Arlington. After publishing several non-fiction books, she now enjoys applying her research skills to fiction projects. She is the author of the middle grade historical adventure The Dala Horse. Her current project is a YA action adventure series, The Centé Conspiracy trilogy.  The Johnston family lived all over the USA during her husband's long career with FedEx. Their two kids are grown, so Lissa and her husband now live on the Colorado River in Central Texas with their quarantine rescue cat Fauci. She doesn’t miss cold weather one bit. Find out more from Lissa's website https://www.lissajohnston.com/ and find her on Twitter @Lissa_Johnston

Special Guest Post by David Pilling, Author of The Northman (The Bloody Hand Saga Book 1)

Available from Amazon US and Amazon UK 

“William came over the sea, with bloody hand came he...”

1069 AD. Three years after the Battle of Hastings, William of Normandy had yet to crush resistance in England. To the north, the people of the Danelaw refused to bow to the Norman yoke. In the east, the famous Hereward waged savage resistance in the fens of Lindsey. Meanwhile the sons of Harold Godwinnsson, backed by a Viking fleet, planned to return and avenge their father.

To begin with, the most serious threat came from the north. In 1068 the earl of Northumbria, Gospatrik, joined forces with Edgar Aetheling, the last male descendent of the House of Wessex. William raced north to deal with the revolt, which melted away in the summer. Several of the rebel leaders, including Edgar, fled into Scotland to take refuge at the court of Malcolm III.

This was not the end of the trouble. William had replaced Gospatrik with one of his Norman followers, Robert Comines, who was slaughtered by English rebels at Durham in 1069. Afterwards the rebels turned once again to York, where they killed the Norman constable and many of his men. At the same time fresh revolts broke out all over the kingdom, from the Welsh border to Dorset, Shrewsbury and Devon. William was forced to fight another pitched battle at Stafford, where he scattered a rebel army.

Many of the rebels took to the woods and fens. The most famous of them was Hereward, later called 'the Wake', an obscure Lincolnshire thegn who set up camp inside the impenetrable fens of Ely. Although Hereward's deeds were later exaggerated, he posed a serious enough threat to the Normans. Another famous rebel leader was Eadric 'the Wild', a thegn of Shropshire who allied with Welsh princes and launched ferocious raids on the Norman garrisons at Shrewsbury and Hereford.

The Normans called these forest outlaws the 'silvatici', which translates as 'wild men' or men of the woods. According to a Norman chronicler, Orderic Vitalis, these men lived in rough tents in the wild, disdaining to live in houses lest they became soft. The Abingdon chronicle says that many plots were hatched by the English, that some hid in woods and others in islands, plundering and attacking others who came in their way.

Many strange legends gathered about the silvatici. For instance, Hereward was said to have slain a gigantic bear in combat, while Eadric became associated with all kinds of folk-tales. In one tradition Eadric marries a succubi, a type of demon or supernatural entity, who bore him a son named Aelfnoth. Others claim Eadric is still alive, trapped in the mines beneath the wild hills of Shropshire, and that he is the leader of the Wild Hunt: a band of ghostly horsemen that sweep across the land at certain times of year.

The tale of this bloody and brutal time is written by Thorkell Skaldsson, once a bard in the service of Waltheof, the last English earl. In old age, thousands of miles from England, he still mourns the conquest of his homeland. Before he dies, Thorkell has vowed to write the truth...of Duke William, Harold Hardrada and Sweyn of Denmark, of the Emperor Alexios and the mighty city of Micklegarth...of the fall and rise of the English.

The Northman has one last saga to tell...

David Pilling  

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About the Author

David Pilling is a writer and researcher, addicted to history for as long as he can remember. The medieval era has always held a fascination for him, perhaps because he spent much of his childhood exploring the misted ruins of castles in Wales. David also has a keen interest in the Byzantine Empire, the post-Roman period in Britain and the British & Irish Civil Wars. Find out more at David's website http://pillingswritingcorner.blogspot.com/ and follow him on Facebook and Twitter @RobeH2

Historical Fiction Spotlight: Wolves of Wagria: A Viking Age Novel (Olaf's Saga Book 3) by Eric Schumacher

 

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

It is AD 972. Olaf Tryggvason and his oath-sworn protector, Torgil, are once again on the move. They have left the Rus kingdom and now travel the Baltic Sea in search of plunder and fame. 

But a fateful storm lands them on the Vendish coastline in a kingdom called Wagria. There, they find themselves caught between the aggression of the Danes, the political aspirations of the Wagrian lords, and the shifting politics in Saxland. 

Can they survive or will they become just one more casualty of kingly ambitions? Find out in this harrowing sequel to the best-selling Forged by Iron and Sigurd's Swords.

Praise for Olaf's Saga

"The ability to bring history alive and the capability to put the reader convincingly in a past time and place is the hallmark of a master historical fiction novelist, qualities Eric Schumacher demonstrates in this novel and others he's written." - Preston Holtry, author of the Arrius Trilogy

"Eric Schumacher writes so well that you're there, while thanking the gods that you're not. I can't wait for the next book to see what the Norns have planned for Torgil, Turid, and Olaf." - Amazon customer

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About the Author

Eric Schumacheris the author of six novels and one novella, all set in the Viking Age. By day, Schumacher is a brand storyteller and PR consultant for early-stage companies. By night, he ventures into the past, using known history and ancient tales to create stories about real people living in turbulent times. From the earliest age, Schumacher devoured books about castles and warrior kings and Tolkien’s Middle Earth. Those stories, coupled with a love of writing, led him to the completion of Hakon’s Saga (published by Legionary Books), which tells the story of the young Norwegian king, Hakon Haraldsson, and his struggles to win, unify, and protect what was not yet Norway. Find out more at Eric's website: www.ericschumacher.net and find him on Facebook and Twitter @DarkAgeScribe 

Historical Fiction Spotlight: The Fortune Keeper, by Deborah Swift

Available on Amazon UK and Amazon US

Count your nights by stars, not shadows ~ Italian Proverb

Winter in Renaissance Venice: Mia Caiozzi is determined to discover her destiny by studying the science of astronomy. But her stepmother Giulia forbids her to engage in this occupation, fearing it will lead her into danger. The ideas of Galileo are banned by the Inquisition, so Mia must study in secret.

Giulia's real name is Giulia Tofana, renowned for her poison Aqua Tofana, and she is in hiding from the Duke de Verdi's family who are intent on revenge for the death of their brother. Giulia insists Mia should live quietly out of public view. If not, it could threaten them all. But Mia doesn't understand this, and rebels against Giulia, determined to go her own way.

When the two secret lives collide, it has far-reaching and fatal consequences that will change Mia's life forever.

Set amongst opulent palazzos and shimmering canals, The Fortune Keeper is the third novel of adventure and romance based on the life and legend of Giulia Tofana, the famous poisoner.

'Her characters are so real they linger in the mind long after the book is back on the shelf' - Historical Novel Society

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About the Author

Deborah Swift lives in North Lancashire on the edge of the Lake District and worked as a set and costume designer for theatre and TV. After gaining an MA in Creative Writing in 2007 Deborah now teach classes and courses in writing and provides editorial advice to writers and authors. Find out more at Deborah's website www.deborahswift.com and follow her on Facebook and Twitter @swiftstory

Special Guest Interview with Jacquie Bloese, author of The French House

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

In Nazi-occupied Guernsey, the wrong decision can destroy a life...

Left profoundly deaf after an accident, Émile is no stranger to isolation - or heartbreak. Now, as Nazi planes loom over Guernsey, he senses life is about to change forever. Trapped in a tense, fearful marriage, Isabelle doesn't know what has become of Émile and the future she hoped for. But when she glimpses him from the window of the French House, their lives collide once more.

I'm pleased to welcome author Jacquie Bloese to The Writing Desk:

Tell us about your latest book

The French House is set on Guernsey, during the German Occupation of World War 2, and it’s about two estranged lovers: Émile, who lost his hearing in a tragic accident, and Isabelle. Both unhappily married to other people, the German invasion throws Émile and Isabelle together again, through their work at the ‘French House’ – Victor Hugo’s former residence-in-exile. And as their lives become enmeshed with that of the enigmatic German press censor, Schreiber, loyalties are blurred and dangerous secrets form ...

What is your preferred writing routine?

I like to devote quality time to writing – and thinking, which is such a crucial part of the process - rather than writing in snatched moments. On a day where I’m writing, I’m at my freshest and most productive in the mornings, then I’ll break for lunch, and go back to it in the afternoon – I find changing locations helps, so I can often be found in the local library! I find Sundays a good time to really get stuck in too.

What advice do you have for new writers?

Build resilience – it’s a tough industry and everyone, both published and unpublished, experiences knockbacks along the way. Seek out other writers who you feel comfortable sharing your work with and whose opinions you trust. Establish a routine. Take classes, either online or in person. Don’t give up, even if it feels tempting. And … make sure you finish!

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

I’ve actually found word-of-mouth through friends, family and colleagues very helpful – occasionally I post on LinkedIn and these posts always seem to gain far more traction than anything on Twitter or Instagram!

My advice to debut authors, like myself, would be to be pro-active in terms of publicity. Be bold and pitch yourself to local literary festivals, local radio etc. It all helps and importantly, it gives you as the author a feeling of agency.

Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research.

It wasn’t uncommon for German soldiers who had been billeted with Guernsey families to strike up friendships, and return for holidays when the war was over. And how living in a time of extreme uncertainty was just as psychologically distressing as food shortages and loss of freedom.

What was the hardest scene you remember writing?

It was probably the prologue as it’s based on real events, endured by my great-grandfather. It re-tells the story of how he fell down an unlit elevator shaft, as a very young man, newly arrived in Canada – an accident which resulted in permanent hearing loss.

What are you planning to write next?

My next novel, The Golden Hour, is set against the backdrop of the underground trade in erotic photography in late Victorian Brighton, and is about three women from different classes, all fighting against their constraints of their circumstances. But in their quest for freedom, have the women become more trapped than ever?

Jacquie Bloese 

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About the Author

Jacquie Bloese grew up on the Channel Island of Guernsey, an upbringing which provided lots of inspiration for her debut novel, The French House. Her interest in travel, languages and other cultures led to a career in ELT publishing, a job which has taken her in and out of classrooms all over the world. Writing fiction is her first love and her work has been shortlisted for the Good Housekeeping First Novel Award, Caledonia Novel Award, and the Mslexia Novel Award. The French House is a Richard and Judy December book club pick. After many years in London, Jacquie now lives in Brighton, with her partner. Find out more at her website www.jacquiebloese.com and find Jacquie on Facebook and Twitter @novelthesecond

Historical Fiction Spotlight: Son of Anger (Ormstunga Saga, Book 1) By Donovan Cook

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Ulf is like a storm, slowly building up its power, he grows more dangerous with each passing moment. And like all storms, he will eventually break. When he does, he will destroy everything in his path.

Ulf is one of a long line of famous Norse warriors. His ancestor Tyr was no ordinary man, but the Norse God of War. Ulf, however, knows nothing about being a warrior.

Everything changes when a stranger arrives on Ulf’s small farm in Vikenfjord. The only family he’s ever known are slaughtered and the one reminder of his father is stolen -- Ulf’s father’s sword, Ormstunga. Ulf’s destiny is decided.

Are the gods punishing him? All Ulf knows is that he has to avenge his family. He sets off on an adventure that will take him across oceans, into the eye of danger, on a quest to reclaim his family’s honour.

The gods are roused. One warrior can answer to them.

The Son of Anger.

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About the Author

Donovan Cook was born in South Africa but raised in England, and currently works as an English tutor. He is the author of the Ormstunga Saga, which includes his debut novel Son of Anger and the follow up, Raid of the Wolves. His novels come from his fascination with the Viking world and Norse Mythology and he hopes that you will enjoy exploring this world as much as he did writing about it. When Donovan is not teaching or writing, he can be found reading, watching rugby, or working on DIY projects. Being born in South Africa, he is a massive Springboks fan and rarely misses a match. Find out more at Donovan's website https://www.donovancook.net/ and follow him on Facebook and Twitter @DonovanCook20