Book Review: Royal Harlot by Susan Holloway Scott
‘Royal Harlot’ by Susan Holloway Scott takes us into the world of Barbara Villiers and her passionate life and great affair with King Charles II.
Category Archives: History
‘The Perils of Being an Early Modern Bottle-Blonde’ – A Guest Post by Pete Langman
It’s quite usual to compliment the author of a work of historical fiction on their research, even though this doesn’t mean much more than ‘we’ve read the same history books’, but there is something to be said for appropriating knowledge that you happen to have, even if it didn’t start out as a considered part of the book.… Read on
Hear ye! News, Audiobooks, & More!
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope your 2020 has started well. Our house has been plagued with one bad cold after another (and I’ve been coughing like mad for over a month!). Well, lots of things are going on at the moment. I’ve been scheduling several new posts: guest writers, book reviews, and new history articles. Also, I… Read on
Epidemic: Were the Powers that Be Powerless to Prevent the Plague?: A Guest Post by Claire Canary
One of the many things to really slow me down in writing historical fiction is the level of interest I’ve taken in my research. Nevertheless, it’s been the best learning experience of my life! Thanks to works such as Rebecca Rideal’s 1666: Plague, War and Hellfire, I’ve built the confidence to take Andrea up on her kind offer… Read on
Seven little known facts about Nell Gwyn: A Guest Post by Deborah Swift
1. Nell experimented with cross-dressing. Between 1663 and 1667 she posed under the name “William Nell” and adopted a false beard. The disguise stood her in good stead when she needed to act as a man on the stage in March 1667, and we know from Pepys’ diary that he found her performance the best he’d ever seen. 2.… Read on
‘A Gift from the King’ – a Guest Post by Daniel Williams of King Charles I Return
My name is Daniel Williams. For a year and a half, I have been recreating King Charles I and faithfully bringing him to life to the delight (and sometimes bemusement) of the public. My travels have taken me around the UK from Scotland to Isle of Wight retreading his footsteps & life story. It is a truly magical… Read on
Book Review: Royalist Rebel by Anita Seymour
Royalist Rebel, written by Anita Seymour and published in 2013 by Claymore Press (a former fiction imprint of Pen & Sword), is a biographical novel of Elizabeth Murray, the fascinating Countess Dysart and later Duchess of Lauderdale. The eldest of four daughters of William Murray – a loyal courtier of King Charles I – the real Elizabeth lived… Read on
Cover reveal: Sex and Sexuality in Stuart Britain!
Hear ye! Hear ye! Earlier today on my social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, I posted the cover for my book, Sex and Sexuality in Stuart Britain, which will be published by Pen & Sword History at a date to be determined. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! It’s possibly my best cover to date. I’ll certainly post more… Read on