Historical Fiction Spotlight ~ Wars of the Roses: Bloodline: Book 3, by Conn Iggulden @Conn_Iggulden

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Winter 1461:  Richard Duke of York is dead, his ambitions in ruins, his head spiked on the walls of the city. King Henry VI is still held prisoner. His Lancastrian Queen rides south with an army of victorious northerners, accompanied by painted warriors from the Scottish Highlands. With the death of York, Margaret and her army seem unstoppable. Yet in killing the father, Margaret has unleashed the sons.

Edward of March, now Duke of York, proclaims himself England's rightful king. Factions form and tear apart as snow falls. Through blood and treason, through broken men and vengeful women, brother shall confront brother, king shall face king.

Two men can always claim a crown. 

Only one can keep it.

Praise for Conn Iggulden's Wars of the Roses series:

'Pacey and juicy, and packed with action' Sunday Times

'Energetic, competent stuff; Iggulden knows his material and his audience' Independent

'A novel that seamlessly combines narrative, historical credence and great knowledge of the period' Daily Express

Guest Post ~ the inspiration behind Roman Mask, by Thomas M. D. Brooke

New on Amazon UK and Amazon US

Rome AD 9: Augustus Caesar rules Imperial Rome at the height of its power, as the Roman Empire stretches across the known world. Cassius, son of one of her most powerful families, is the personification of Rome's imperial strength: wealthy, popular, a war hero with a decorated military career - none of Rome's fashionable parties are complete without him - except, he hides a secret.

Turning a negative into a positive – the inspiration behind writing Roman Mask

It was an October night, and I was returning home from a night out with a few friends in my local pub in London, when something happened that changed my life dramatically.  The nights were closing in, so it was already dark by the time I left the pub, but I was in a good mood.   I’d recently returned from a trip to Pompeii , so I’d been telling everyone of my excitement at walking through the Roman streets, marvelling at the murals and depictions on the well preserved houses, and laughing about the seedier aspects of the ancient city – the brothels and street graffiti that had also survived the great volcanic eruption of AD 79.

It was probably because I was so preoccupied with these thoughts, that I didn’t see the guy who came out of an alcove and wrapped an arm around my neck.  My first thought was, ‘Am I being mugged?  Who’s going to mug me??’ – I’m a big guy, over six foot tall and I keep myself in pretty good shape, so I’d always thought the chance of this happening in London were pretty remote.  But I was wrong. When the second guy came out from behind a car, then the third from behind a bush I knew I was in trouble.  This was no ordinary street robbery; these guys were out for blood, and the three of them surrounded me and between them punched, kicked, and smashed me to the ground, beating me to an inch of my life.

Afterwards, as I tried to hobble home – one of them had crushed my foot, to prevent me from getting up – another passer-by saw me covered in blood and called an ambulance.  I was lucky, I got to live another day.  And within a few weeks, my bruises healed, and I began to walk without a limp, all physical signs of my encounter disappeared.  But that was just the start of my nightmare.

I was completely unprepared for the mental-trauma that such an incident inflicts on you.  That winter was torture for me.  After any night out, I was terrified to go home; I found I was scared of the dark, constantly thinking that people would jump out of the shadows at me.  I’d never previously been a heavy drinker, but over that winter I found I needed to drink a lot just to give me the courage to walk home.  I could have called a taxi, but then people would wonder why I was taking a cab for such a small journey – this became another all-encompassing fear:  that others would find out about my terror. This might seem irrational, but at the time, that fear was almost as great as being mugged again.

Those first six months were very difficult, but then as the nights started getting lighter, an idea came to me.  After visiting Pompeii I’d been searching for a character to be a lead in a novel set in ancient Rome – someone who fully embraced the entirety of Rome, its seedier aspects as much as its magnificence.  Why not put my experiences to good use, rather than having it a weight bearing me down, let it be something that produces something positive. 

At the time, the news on the television was full of stories of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress and it made me think how soldiers dealt with such issues in the ancient world.  My experiences had shown me the power that traumatic events can play on the mind, and I quite simply didn’t believe anyone who claimed that in the ancient world such a thing was not a concern because life was different back then.   The human mind was biologically exactly the same then as it is now, and just as fallible to conditions we now diagnose and understand the importance of.

So I came up with the character Cassius, a great soldier, but someone who’d been affected by a terrible battle a few years before in the forests of Germany.   I knew from my own experiences how easy it was to fall into a trap of blaming yourself for your own perceived weakness, and I knew how living a lie to hide that same weakness became a part of life.

I then started my novel in Rome so I could show Cassius being seduced by the many vices of that city – something that is all too easy to do under such circumstances.  I then returned Cassius to the forests of Germany where he learns to understand and come to terms with his fears, just as I did whilst writing my novel.

I’m now pleased that fateful night in October happened.  It was a terrible experience, but it gave me something so much more – I wouldn’t change it for anything.

Thomas M. D. Brooke

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About the Author

Thomas M. D. Brooke lives in London where he works in the exciting, and sometimes crazy, fashion world.  He is also a committed writer and he spends as much time as he can in his beloved Northumbrian hills, where up until recently could be seen walking with his black Labrador Fergus, who sadly passed in January 2015.  Fergus was a constant companion to the writing of the novel and prevented many writers’ tantrums. Roman Mask is Thomas Brooke’s second novel, although this will be the first available for sale. As well as writing novels, he also writes a blog on both historical and fantasy genre novels.  For more information please visit www.thomasmdbrooke.com and you can follow Thomas on Twitter
@ThomasMD_Brooke.

Historical Fiction Spotlight ~ Almost a Millennium, by Jeanbill

Available on Amazon UK and Amazon US

Almost a Millennium is an eclectic novel about the unlikely connection between an English monk and an American physician that lived nearly 1,000 years apart, one of today and one in the medieval period. It begins at their birth, traveling through time to their adulthood.

Using cryptography, Paul, a monk at Llanthony Abbey in Wales, writes a four-page document about his life and a harsh critique of the crusades. He places his writings in safekeeping in the hope that it will survive the crusades and eventually land in the hands of someone who can decipher his secrets. When Fred unexpectedly comes across Paul’s book and ciphers Paul’s cryptic message, he has no idea that four pages of millennial history will challenge him to rethink Christianity.

Almost a Millennium by Jeanbill is a deeply compelling historical fiction novel. Although a work of fiction, the story is a depiction of England's history and the power dynamics at the time. It is a richly detailed story and many times I found myself forgetting that I was reading a work of fiction as the historical events described felt very authentic. The setting of the story and the character development were simply amazing as we dived into Paul and Fred's compelling background stories. Paul and Fred were two people so different and yet so alike. The pace of the story was set from the beginning and this held true to the very last page. Jeanbill used a unique and very captivating style in developing this story.” - Reviewed by Faridah Nassozi for Readers’ Favorite.

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About the Author:

Jeanbill has been associated with medicine for more than 50 years, practicing as a general practitioner. He studied many hours in the medieval library of University of Notre Dame, researched and wrote over a period of 20 years in his spare time. His debut novel Almost a Millennium was published in January 2015. Jeanbill resides in Lynden, WA. Married to his other half for 57 years until cancer separated them, he has four children and 14 grandchildren. Readers can connect with him on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter @AuthorJeanbill.

Historical Fiction Spotlight ~ The Remorseless Queen, by Susan Appleyard

Available on Amazon UK and Amazon US

Margaret of Anjou was Queen of England during the period known as the War of the Roses. As a fifteen year-old bride she had many difficulties to face. 

She brought no dowry to her adopted land, which was still at war with her native land. Not least of all, her husband was reluctant to come to her bed. 

With a weak and ineffective king on the throne, rival parties tilted for power. When the struggle escalated into war, Margaret realized she had no choice but to suppress the feminine side of her nature in order to protect her feeble-minded husband and helpless son.

Leading her party, dictating policy, dealing with foreign princes, she became, in fact, king in all but name.

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About the Author

Susan was born in England, which is where she learned to love English history, and now lives in Canada in the summer. In winter she and her husband flee the cold for their second home in Mexico. Susan divides her time between writing and her hobby, oil painting. Writing will always be her first love. You can find more information about Susan's books on her blog and follow her on Twitter @susan_appleyard.

Book Review ~ Meditations in Wonderland, by Anna Patrick

New on Amazon UK and Amazon US

A twenty-four-year-old interior designer living in New York finds herself down a rabbit hole that is far different from the one she remembers from her favourite childhood story. Guided by clues in Wonderland, Elizabeth comes face to face with her inner light and darkness, and, discovers that Alice's secret might be what she has been searching for all along.

This innovative debut novel from Anna Patrick lulls the reader into thinking they know how it will develop, before descending into the depths of Anna's vivid imagination. Dark and often surreal, I found myself drawn into the half-familiar world of Wonderland. 

A journey of self-discovery for the lead character Elizabeth, I liked the parallels with the original Alice in Wonderland and was intrigued to discover a page on Wikipedia which lists such a wealth of re-tellings, adaptations and even computer games one could be forgiven for thinking it has all been done before.

Anna Patrick has shown there is still plenty of mileage in the original story to inspire new works which bring fresh and contemporary perspectives to this timeless classic:  

As she held the letter in her wet palms she could feel the beating of her heart inside her chest. It hummed along with the sound of a distant clock, both emitting a beat like a war drum—a harsh reminder of her seclusion and that Alice was getting farther and farther away. She tore at the letter’s seams and extracted the folded paper inside, which read:

So, you want to see my world? Look around you. Honestly, did you really think that you were going to come and do a little sightseeing? There are no maps down here, but I’ll tell you what one would look like if such a thing existed. What you see around you is the white, tender underbelly of the subconscious. This is where all of the skeletons, ghosts, and demons hidden in your closet and up your sleeve come to tuck themselves in at night. And don’t think for a second that they’ll be easy to spot, because everyone wears a mask here. And you do, too, gorgeous, even if you don’t think so. I’m not the one who looks in the mirror and then quickly looks away.

Alice 

In an author's note at the end if the book, Anna says, "As Carroll reminds us: 'Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality.'”

I wonder what Lewis Carroll would say if he knew that quote (from the Cheshire Cat) was now popular as a tattoo, sold on T-shirts and is continuing to inspire new writers such as Anna Patrick?

(I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review.)

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About the Author

  

Anna Patrick  was born and raised in Northern Virginia, and after living in three other cities during her college and post-grad years (New York City, Boston and London) she now lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. Graduating from Boston College with a degree in communications, she also had the first draft of the manuscript that would become her first novel, Meditations In Wonderland. She is also the creator of a popular Tumblr under the same title. Now a full-time book publicist, Patrick lives in Northern Virginia with her boyfriend and their French bulldog. For more on Anna and the book, visit www.meditationsinwonderland.com. You can also find Anna on Twitter @loveannapatrick.

Guest Post ~ Kickstarter Campaign for A New Look at Old Words, by Catherine Thrush

New on Kickstarter

When I first came across a reprint of a book written in 1860 by John Camden Hotten called A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant and Vulgar Words. I thought to myself, oh my God! This is exactly what I need!  At the time, I was writing my first historical fiction pirate novel set in the early 1700s and I was looking for colourful and authentic language to salt the dialogue of my pirate crew.

The book was perfect. Not only was it about history, it was history. I ordered it on the spot and waited impatiently for it to arrive. When it did finally appear, I read the introduction and the entire -A- section with excited interest.

However, when I sat down to write with the book next to me, a problem arose. To use a dictionary, one must know the word one wants to look up. I knew the definition, not the word. For example, I wanted a colourful name for a black eye. The only way to find what I wanted would be to read the entire book.

Undaunted, I embarked upon a nine month project to categorize all the words so I could find them quickly and easily when and if I should need them. That was a number of years ago. Recently it occurred to me that this might be a useful resource for other writers and fun for any lexicographers, linguists, or lovers of old words. So after some spit and polish, here it is.

This is not a book of the namby-pamby, hoity-toity words one would expect to hear in the London drawing-rooms of the 1600s through 1800s. This is the street slang, the flash patter of seamen, street-sellers, Gypsies and thieves. As Carl Sandburg once said, "Slang is a language that rolls up its sleeves, spits on its hands and goes to work."

A few of my favourite words to give you the flavour:

DIMBER DAMBER: very pretty; a clever rogue who excels his fellows; chief of a gang. Old cant in the latter sense. ─English Rogue.

KILKENNY CAT: a popular simile for a voracious or desperate animal or person, from the story of the two cats in that county, who are said to have fought and bitten each other until a small portion of the tail of one of them alone remained.

LITTLE SNAKES-MAN: a little thief, who is generally passed through a small aperture to open any door to let in the rest of the gang.

SUCK THE MONKEY: to rob a cask of liquor by inserting a straw through a gimlet hole, and sucking a portion of the contents.

KISS-ME-QUICK: the name given to the very small bonnets worn by females since 1850.

BY THE HOLY POKER AND THE TUMBLING TOM!: an Irish oath.

The organization process was subjective to say the least. I had to make a lot of decisions on what should be included where. I aimed for being inclusive rather than exclusive, in the hopes of making finding the perfect word as easy and as natural as possible. I also wanted to avoid being stuffy or formal, while still being informative and useful. I think the original coiners of these words would appreciate that. These words are a lark, I hope I've made learning about them fun as well.

Of course, being an author and an artist, I couldn't resist adding a few paragraphs of commentary and an illustration for each chapter.

While this book started out as a convenience to improve my work as a writer, it turned into a labour of love. Over the course of organizing this book I've come to adore these words. Some are lyrical, a few are frightening, many are funny, and all of them give us a glimpse into life – both the good aspects and the bad – in the 1600 and 1800s. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Catherine Thrush

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About the Author

Catherine Thrush is a San Jose, California based writer and illustrator. Her book, A New Look at Old Words is now on Kickstarter.  Her as-yet-unpublished historical fiction novel/screenplay Lady Blade has won numerous awards including 1^st in Category from The Chaucer Awards, and the Emerging Talent Award from the Monterey County Film Commission. To learn more follow her blog and find Catherine on Facebook and Twitter 
@CatherineThrush. 

Book Launch ~ Ujaali (The Chicago Vampires Series) (Volume 2) by Laura L Enright

New on Amazon US and Amazon UK

After the events of To Touch the Sun, Book One in the Chicago Vampire Series, Narain Khan is finding his life returning to normal—or as normal as life can be for the chef and owner of one of Chicago’s premiere restaurants who also happens to be a vampire. And yet, as the romance deepens between him and microbiologist Cassie Lambert, and investors approach he and business partner Dom Amato to open a London restaurant, Narain can’t shake the feeling that something terrible is coming. Something he’ll be totally unprepared to deal with. 

Indeed, something terrible does come as the consequences of a careless action taken decades ago come back to haunt him. It forces him to lie to Dom, a friend he’s never lied to before, and puts at risk the relationship he’s built with Cassie after a blackout causes him to do the unthinkable one night. 

To save those he loves, victims of his mistake, Narain must turn to his greatest nemesis for help and agree to the harsh terms that Reg Jameson is only too glad to put forth. 

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About the Author

Laura Enright is the author of "Chicago's Most Wanted™ The Top 10 Book of Murderous Mobsters, Midway Monsters, and Windy City Oddities" and "Vampires' Most Wanted The Top 10 Book of Bloodthirsty Biters, Stake-wielding Slayers, and Other Undead Oddities."  You can find out more about Laura's books on her website 

http://www.laura-enright.com/ and find her on Twitter @laura_enright