Fiction from Fact
My upcoming book A Bachelor’s Pledge is a work of fiction but there are many elements of the story that actually occurred. I try to fit them in seamlessly, so that it is not too much like a history lesson for the reader. It is late 1810, and my hero, Phil Cullen, is instructed by […]
Want your spirits uplifting? Come on a walk to Minster Lovell
I’ve been venturing further afield on my walks as the weather has improved. Last week the husband and I visited Minster Lovell, a picturesque historic village on the banks of the River Windrush. This village has three parts, Old Minster, Little Minster, and New Minster. You might guess that Old Minster was our destination Even […]
Do You Want to Know a Secret?
This article first appeared last year on The Coffee Pot Book Club: I thought it was worth updating here because spying and espionage are very much a feature of my upcoming book in The Gentlemen Series ~ A BACHELOR’S PLEDGE. When we talk of espionage today, we think of James Bond action heroes, or perhaps […]
A Lockdown Day Out
Although I enjoy my daily lockdown walks, seeing the same scenery day after day gets more than a little tedious. After nearly three months I was itching to walk somewhere different. So when the rules were relaxed recently, I decided to see if there was anywhere not too far away from where I live that […]
Fancy a Ride Round Britain?
Then let’s accompany Colonel John Byng, Viscount Torrington (1743-1813) on one of his tours. I’ve written about this chap before, but I thought now — when we are unable to travel — would be a good time to have another look at his diaries detailing his trips round the country. On Saturday 2nd July 1785 […]
Unmasking a Villain: Review of The Talisman Ring
We’re still in lockdown, so I thought I’d review another of Georgette Heyer’s historical novels, in case you’re still seeking some comfort reading. Set in 1793, The Talisman Ring is an enjoyable mix of adventure and comedy. It’s another of Heyer’s stories that doesn’t conform to the typical idea of a romance. It’s also different […]
The Imposter at the Toll-Gate
Well here we are still in Lockdown, and still in need of comfort reading (well, I am anyway). Another Georgette Heyer book that I haven’t read for some time is The Toll-Gate. Now why did I ever think that all Heyer’s Regency tales were romances? This one, while containing a charming romance at its heart, […]
When Love is a Game…
Another Heyer book today – this time Faro’s Daughter, the story of tempestuous Deborah Grantham and the man who is out to ruin her plans, Max Ravenscar. If you enjoy sparkling, witty dialogue, you will enjoy this book, the verbal sparring between this pair is some of Heyer’s best work. If you’re puzzled about the […]
Looking for Madcap Adventures With An Unlikely Hero?
I’m devouring Georgette Heyer’s books at the moment. They are definitely my go-to reads during stressful times, whisking me away to a world where the worst that can happen is that no-one asks the heroine for a dance at Almack’s Assembly Rooms. One book I’ve recently re-read is The Foundling – not a typical Heyer […]