A Winter Walk at Blenheim
Last week, bored after being restricted to home because of the bad weather (we had a fair bit of snow where I live), I decided a visit to Blenheim Palace was called for. Not for a tour of the house, I’ve done that before, but for a walk in the gardens and around the lake. […]
Dying and Dyeing in 1810
Trapped indoors by the extremely cold and icy weather we are enjoying at the moment, I thought I’d spend some time looking at the Gentleman’s Magazine for January 1810. I love reading about events that occurred so long ago and speculating on the stories of the people involved. A couple of sad items caught my […]
Don’t be a Nuisance! 11 Useful Facts for a Regency Time-Traveller.
To help with research, it’s always useful for a writer of historical novels to have a few old books to hand. Well, that’s my excuse for haunting antiquarian and second-hand book sites and shops, and spending hard-earned cash on decrepit and worn volumes (the only sort I can afford). To be honest, I started buying […]
The Canal Built to Trap an Army
Have you heard of the Royal Military Canal? Up to fairly recently, I hadn’t. An entry in the Gentleman’s Magazine for December 1810 brought it to my attention. It reported that a soldier had drowned in the canal, having fallen in when it was dark. The report didn’t mention the site of the tragedy, stating […]
4 more sleeps until Christmas!
Only four more sleeps until Christmas Day, and I’m nowhere near prepared. It’s not that I’ve been lazy, but a case of too many jobs to fit in a limited time, so this will be a very short post. I’ve been busy going through the proofs of An Officer’s Vow and it will be […]
A bit about me and my writing
The inspiration for A Gentleman’s Promise I’ve always enjoyed reading, mainly historical fiction, crime, and mysteries; I can’t think of a better way to escape the stresses and strains of everyday life. I decided to write the sort of book that I enjoy reading, something light and escapist, but based in a real historical landscape. […]
Manuscripts, Maps, and Magic
Last week I had the privilege of taking a tour of the Bodleian Library’s conservation workshop. Housed in the impressive Weston Library, the workshop is on the top floor, where it is able to take full advantage of the unobstructed light coming in from the windows ranged across one side of the room. On first […]
What I did on my holiday – part 3
In my short trip to Devon last month I managed to pack a lot in. I’ve already told you about the marvellous Arlington Court and the Carriage Museum. That visit took up a whole day. My second day was spent exploring. Heading north up the coast, husband and I ended up in Ilfracombe. Now, at […]
National Trust Carriage Museum
As a writer, it’s very important to me to be able to describe, as accurately as possible, the lived experience of my characters. For my historical stories, this means undertaking extensive research. Not all research involves visiting libraries, reading historical accounts, and checking things out on the internet – all activities I enjoy, but some […]