Jennifer C. Wilson's Blog

Hello everyone! Today, as part of our Black Friday Sale, I am delighted to welcome the lovely Elizabeth M. Hurst, a friend and fellow Swanwicker, to tell you about her special offer…

Thanks so much, Jen, for having me on your blog!

I’m delighted to share my latest release with your readers, and at a special discounted price for Black Friday weekend too!

People write books on the craft of writing for all sorts of reasons. After around eight years of freelance editing, I noticed a pattern among debut authors that approached me to work on their books – the manuscripts weren’t ready to be edited. When I gently divulged what was necessary to get the book to a satisfactory standard for publishing, they were amazed. They had not anticipated what was involved. (And, as a result, how much they would have to pay!) Which in turn meant they would go away feeling dejected, however hard I tried to be constructive.

It left me feeling just as bad as they did.

This got me thinking. What if I could give these authors advice about how to self-edit before they started thinking about professional editing. If they could follow a simple, methodical approach to fine-tuning their novel themselves, their fees would be lower because the likes of me wouldn’t need to spend so much time on editing. Thus, The Wordsmith’s Guide to Editing Your Own Novel was born.

Since then, the series has gone from strength to strength. Book four was my latest release: Planning the Perfect Plot.

This was my favourite of the series so far to write, for one important reason: it allowed me to share something I learned a few years ago that revolutionised my writing process.

I used to get bogged down when writing a novel. Planning used to be such a haphazard thing. I never felt I had the whole story in my head before I started. And so, after 20,000–30,000 words, I would run out of steam. Motivation used to dip. I would get bored, feel it was all too difficult, and eventually, give up.

Talking to other writers, I found this is far from unusual. So, I decided the perfect companion to The Wordsmith’s Guides would be to write what I have learned about plotting, and how it has changed my writing process for the better.

Briefly, it is this: Think about the WHY.

Why do you want to write this story? Why does it matter to you? Why do you want it to matter to your readers? Why should they care?

The answer to these questions forms your Truth. And there should be hints at this Truth throughout your story because it will be evident from everything your protagonist does, says and feels.

Nowadays, I never start to draft a novel until I have a clear outline from start to finish. I know the character’s motivations, and I know the main challenges that will take place. I know the antagonist, and why they want to hurt the protagonist. Because I write historical fiction, I will also have done a fair amount of research beforehand so I am familiar with the time and place, and therefore the external conflicts that will happen in the background, e.g. war, invasion, power struggles, births and deaths of important historical figures. I will also have written the first scene and the last, so that I have bookends, if you like, that help me approach the ending with less trepidation.

My current work in progress is the final instalment of my medieval Kingdom of Majorca trilogy. I started it only a couple of weeks ago, so there’s a long way to go. I am targeting 2027 to release all three books in fairly quick succession. Stay tuned for book covers around this time next year…

Happy writing!

About Elizabeth

Elizabeth was born and bred in the picturesque harbour town of Whitehaven in the northwest of England, where the long, wet winters moulded her into a voracious reader of fiction to escape the dismal weather.

In 2016, Elizabeth set up her freelance editing and proofreading business, EMH Editorial Services. In 2018, she quit the corporate world and concentrated her energy full-time towards her love of the written word.

Elizabeth has published timeslip novellas (the Lost Souls series) and a stand-alone novel, A Light Shines in Darkness, based on Blessed Angelina of Marsciano. She is also the author of The Wordsmith’s Guides, a series of nonfiction books on the craft of writing.

Elizabeth now lives with her husband in the warm and sunny south of France, where the wine is cheaper than the water, and the cats spend their days hunting lizards and dreaming of the birds that roost on the roof.

Amazon Book Links:

The Wordsmith’s Guides

Editing Your Own Novel: https://geni.us/EditingYourOwnNovel

Becoming a Freelance Editor & Proofreader: https://geni.us/FreelanceEditor

Creating Compelling Characters: https://geni.us/CharactersAmazon

Planning the Perfect Plot:  https://geni.us/PlottingAmazon

Fiction

Siren Spirit: https://geni.us/AFSki

A Friend in Need: https://geni.us/lFMTHh8

A Light Shines in Darkness: https://geni.us/Ndt3cUz

Reviews for The Wordsmith’s Guide to Editing Your Own Novel

“A comprehensive overview of self-editing and more. Elizabeth knows her stuff! I would certainly recommend this to new writers who’ve completed their first draft.”

“I found this incredibly useful and informative. It’s written in a really friendly and readable way and absolutely fits the brief. It’s clear that the author has actually walked the walk as well, and really knows what she’s talking about, which I find very inspiring. It’s helped me to really think about my writing in a more constructive way and I know I’ll be referring back to it continually.”

Reviews for The Wordsmith’s Guide to Creating Compelling Characters

“This latest book in Elizabeth M. Hurst’s Wordsmith Series gives you the tools you need to ensure your characters jump into the hearts of your readers and keeps them turning the pages of your book long after they should’ve put out the light.”

“More than just tips—this is a smorgasbord of character-building ideas!”

“I found this book immensely helpful in my own novel, particularly in shaping characters who feel alive and authentic. The exercises throughout the book are a standout feature, providing practical ways to apply the concepts rather than just absorbing theory.”

Reviews for The Wordsmith’s Guide to Planning the Perfect Plot

“I honestly can’t wait to try some of these approaches in my own work – I am thinking November will be a perfect time to try!”

“As an author focused on refining my craft, I love seeking new techniques and personal insights to enhance my process. Liz Hurst’s guide proved to be an exceptional gem — a comprehensive resource by a perceptive teacher in her field. In sharing her expertise and personal experiences about plotting, this book hit the sweet spot for me.”

“Another cracker in this series. Liz manages to make things very accessible whilst covering such a lot and with such detail. One thing I really love about this whole ‘Wordsmiths’ series is that Liz constructs the books in a way that makes it so easy to re-read and find what it is you’re looking for at the time you need it. It means they really are constant companions as opposed to books you read once and never revisit.”

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizhurstauthor

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMHurstAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizhurstauthor/

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@lizhurstauthor

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-m-hurst/

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/lizhurstauthor.bsky.social

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14332807.Elizabeth_M_Hurst

Hello, lovely readers!

Are you looking for a final push in your creativity, or perhaps “write more” is looking a likely candidate for your New Year’s Resolutions? It isn’t always as easy as you’d like it to be, is it?

Well, I can certainly help with that today, and over the next few days, with a Black Friday Sale on the first three books of my A Novel Approach series!

My Black Friday offering to writers!

For a limited time only, the first three ebooks are reduced to just 99p/c each!

These creative writing books arose from a series I ran at North Shields Library several years ago now, as well as the prompts I’ve shared with members of North Tyneside Writers’ Circle over the years, and should work equally well for poetry and prose writers of any style or genre.

And, as a broader tip across all prompts; it’s worth sometimes trying the same prompt on different days, during different times of the year, or when you’re aware you’ve in very different moods – it’s funny how doing the same prompt a little while apart can result in very different pieces of writing…

Read on for details of each individual title, and click the links to get over to Amazon to download at this reduced rate for just a few days…

A Novel Approach

Is there a novel in you? Let me help you find out… Based on my series of workshops held throughout 2019 and into 2020, this book is designed to help writers work through each of the key stages of their story, including: – Idea generation; – Creating characters; – Describing your settings; – Showing vs telling; and – Keeping the words flowing when you find yourself stuck. As well as the above, I have also added sections on hooking your readers in, leaving them wanting more, and useful resources as a writer, including how to dip a successful toe into the world of social media. The workshops were fun, helping writers of short stories and novels alike, and I hope these exercises can help you too!

“This is a very useful book, both to those starting out on their writing journey and to those who are already seasoned writers. I liked the informal, relaxed, chatty style and the way Jennifer C. Wilson identifies with writers’ difficulties, especially when starting out. The range of exercises is practical, well thought through and logically sequenced. I have found them helpful, even though I’ve already written several novels myself. This is the kind of book you can dip in and out of and keep coming back to. Highly recommended.” – Amazon Reviewer.

31 Days of Writing

31 Days of Writing draws on the prompts and exercises from seven years of North Tyneside Writers’ Circle.
Whether you’re wanting to build scenes for a work-in-progress, or generate ideas for short stories / poems, there’s something for everyone in this collection, to keep the inspiration flowing for a month of writing…

“This book has a great mixture of prompts and writing exercises to spark creativity and generate ideas. There are quotes, images, scenarios, intriguing questions and more. Anyone looking for inspiration, whether to bust that writers’ block or simply to try something new, will find it in here. Many of the prompts included were the starting point for ideas which I have shaped into poems and stories which have been published or commended in competitions.” – Penny Blackburn, prize-winning poet and writer.

31 MORE Days of Writing

A follow-up to “31 Days of Writing”, here we have ANOTHER 31 days of writing prompts to keep your pen flowing, and fingers tapping!
Drawing again on prompts originally shared at North Tyneside Writers’ Circle, there are plenty of exercises to generate new ideas for stories and poems, or scenes for a work-in-progress.

Hello, lovely readers!

A very short announcement for you today…

I’m so excited that the fourth book in my A Novel Approach series is now available for pre-order as an ebook, ahead of its formal release on the 1st December. I am intending to also release this as a paperback, but that will be following shortly, due to the quiet time I need to sit and format a paperback! (And the large glass of wine which follows!)

A Prompt A Day: Out now!

“A Prompt A Day” contains, as the title suggests, a total of 366 prompts, to keep the ink flowing and the keys tapping for every single day of the year, no matter when you get started…

Recently, I’ve been working hard to maintain my daily writing practice, and I can definitely tell when I’ve had a successful ‘run’ of keeping this going; yes, there are literally more pages of writing in my notebook, but I also have a general sense of inner wellbeing, knowing that I am doing something entirely for me, and taking time for my ‘writing self’, which I haven’t always done in the past.

Having said that, I now also know to be kinder to myself than I have previously, if I don’t write every day. So, however you approach the prompts, whether working through a handful in a day or over a weekend, or following day-by-day, I hope you enjoy the process.

I really have had such a good time pulling this collection of prompts together, and I really hope that you find something in there to inspire the words to flow in whatever genre or style you write. The prompts have been compiled based on almost a decade of running North Tyneside Writers’ Circle and other workshops now, and should work for both poetry and prose (whether fiction or non-fiction).

Here are some examples of the prompts which await you within…

A popular trope in story-telling is to make somebody ‘a fish out of water’, putting them in a situation utterly alien to them. What situation would make you feel like this? Write about the emotions you would likely feel, and how you might cope (or not).

Have you ever thought about the relationships between writers and their characters? Write a letter from a famous character to their creator. Are they happy? Complaining? How might the author respond?

Write a set of instructions, as a recipe or ‘how to’ guide, for a daily practice, such as making tea, but make it beautiful, as though creating a piece of art, or important ritual.

Write an advert! The twist here is that the advertising text should be for something abstract, nothing you could actually buy in the world today, for example peace, love, or revenge… How might a company sell their product? Who is their target audience?

Think of a situation in which you have felt powerful, at any scale. Describe that moment in your writing today, capturing the feelings that were going through you, as well as the scene in which the moment was set. Bring it alive.

The ebook of A Prompt A Day can be pre-ordered here, and if you’re interested in my other writing, you can find out more here, on my Amazon page.

They’ve been engaged since they were children, so he sees no need to woo her. She wants a love match and is determined to find an alternative suitor. Perhaps a Christmas trapped together in snowy London will change both their minds.

Lord Comerford has returned from the navy to claim his title, but ton life appears shallow after active service and the woman he has been promised to since birth seems a frivolous child, only interested in parties and clothes.

Lady Celia is hoping her betrothed will make her heart skip a beat – but dour Lord Comerford hardly fits the bill, so she’s planning to call off the wedding just as soon as she can find a better suitor.

Trapped in snow-covered London, the two patch together Christmas celebrations and in so doing find that actions speak louder than words and that an arranged marriage may turn out to contain a spark of romance.

A seasonal Regency romance, full of historical detail and festive fun, as a couple find out that a dutiful promise might be joyful after all. The Season has begun, the ton is gathered… will Christmas work its magic for Alexander and Celia?

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/RegencyOutsiders

Trailer

https://www.melissaaddey.com/to-win-her-hand

Review

It’s been a while since I read a Regency romance, but reading this reminded me of how glorious good ones can be!

Alexander has returned to London in the saddest of circumstances, to take over the role his older brother was born for, and enjoying. Add to that the sudden reunion with the girl he was betrothed to when they were both mere children, and things aren’t exactly what he hoped for or wanted. He feels no chemistry with his intended, Lady Celia, and since they are set for a summer wedding, why should he worry when other men dance with her, or send her trinkets? As for Lady Celia, with this being her first (and only) season as a young, unmarried woman, who can blame her for wanting to be courted by her handsome betrothed?

With neither getting what they want, it’s only a matter of time before the betrothal is on rocky ground. Just as there’s a way out though, there very much isn’t, as the fog then snow arrives with a vengeance, trapping Alexander and Celia in his town-house, with no way of getting to the family Christmas that had been planned. Their Christmas ends up being very different to what they had planned, and I loved the way that their personalities began to shine once they were forced to simply muddle through with the best they had.

The author really sets the scene, taking us to the heart of the winter season, and especially once the fog and snow descend, the magic and intensity of being trapped (albeit in relative luxury) really come through. I loved the way Celia grew when forced to become the ‘lady of the house’ even for a short few days, and Alexander’s actions were entirely swoon-worthy. There’s always something special about a well-written Regency hero, and Alexander is definitely that.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read, and would definitely recommend it for maybe another month or so’s time, when the weather is starting to bite more, and all you want to do is curl up with a warming romance.

Author Bio

Melissa Addey writes richly researched historical fiction inspired by what she calls “the footnotes of history” – forgotten stories and intriguing lives from the past. Her novels span Ancient Rome, medieval Morocco, 18th-century China, and Regency England. She has a PhD in Creative Writing, was Writer in Residence at the British Library, and lives in London with her family. Discover her books (and get a free novella) at www.melissaaddey.com.

Social Media Links – www.melissaaddey.com

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@melissaaddeyauthor

https://www.instagram.com/melissaaddey/

https://www.facebook.com/MelissaAddeyAuthor

COBBLESTONES 

by S.R. Perricone

The turbulent history of Post-Reconstruction New Orleans collides with the plight of Sicilian immigrants seeking refuge in America.

Antonio, a young man fleeing Sicily after avenging his father’s murder, embarks on a harrowing journey to New Orleans with the help of Jesuit priests expelled from his homeland. However, the promise of a fresh start quickly sours as Antonio becomes entangled in a volatile clash of cultures, corruption, and crime.

In the late 19th century, Italian immigrants in New Orleans faced hostility, exploitation, and a brutal system of indentured servitude. Antonio becomes a witness to history as a bitter feud over the docks spirals into violence, culminating in the assassination of Irish police chief David C. Hennessy. The ensuing trial of nine Italians and the shocking lynching of eleven innocent men ignited international outrage, threatening to sever ties between the United States and Italy.

Caught in the crossfire of prejudice and power struggles, Antonio fights to survive while grappling with his own past and future. His journey weaves a gripping tale of resilience, betrayal, and the enduring hope for justice. Cobblestones: A New Orleans Tragedy is a poignant reminder of the human cost of intolerance and the courage it takes to rebuild a life from ashes.

“A phenomenal epic account of a forgotten slice of New Orleans history for fans of Scorsese / Coppola-type cinematic dramas such as Midnight Vendetta and The Godfather!”
~ HFC Reviews

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link:  https://books2read.com/u/mdOKMd

Excerpt:

An editorial from the newspaper introduced the letter. It read:

THE PROVENZANO-MATRANGA CASE.

We have very much pleasure in publishing the letter which here follows. In the first place, such a document, with such names attached to it, holds out a strong prospect that, as the frequent undetected assassinations among the Italian community in New Orleans find no manner of sympathy with a large portion of that community, they will in the course of a few years be stamped out altogether for want of moral support. And in the next place, the contents of the letter are calculated to strengthen the hands of th prosecution, and to stiffen the backbone of the witnesses who will be called to give evidence in the Provenzano-Matranga case, which opens today. This is the letter:

                                                            New Orleans, July 14, 1890

To the Editor of the Times-Democrat:

For a reason appreciated by the entire community we have heretofore been reticent with respect to the numerous assassinations charged to our countrymen. But we trust that, with the help of the intelligent and independent press of this city, we may be able to stamp out forever the horrible scenes of cold-blooded murder which are charged against our entire people, under the delusion that we all favor a settlement of troubles through the vendetta.

We desire to place ourselves on record as friends of peace and order, and without meaning to prejudice the case now on trial we trust sincerely that the witnesses will speak, and that those, whoever they many be, who have taken part in this midnight assassination may be tried and, after legal conviction, sternly punished.

Author Bio:

Sal Perricone, a graduate of Loyola University of New Orleans with a BA (1975) and JD (1979), has dedicated his career to law enforcement, legal practice, and public service. Beginning as a sergeant with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department, he progressed to detective with the New Orleans Police Department before practicing law privately in New Orleans. In 1985, he joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a Supervisory Special Agent, specializing in financial crime investigations and organized crime.

In 1991, Sal Perricone transitioned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, where he served as Chief of the Organized Crime Strike Force and Senior Litigation Counsel until retiring in 2012. Over his illustrious career, he prosecuted significant cases involving La Cosa Nostra, public corruption, and white-collar crime. He earned numerous accolades, including multiple Director’s Awards and the Attorney General’s Award for his role in establishing the Katrina Fraud Task Force.

An adjunct professor at Tulane University and the University of New Orleans, Sal Perricone has trained law enforcement professionals across the nation. Post-retirement, he has authored two novels with positive Catholic themes, Blue Steel Crucifix and The Shadows of Nazareth. A Brother Martin alumnus, he continues to inspire with his dedication to justice and ethics.

Author Links:

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/sal.r.perricone/

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/srperricone

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/S.-R.-Perricone/author/B00RKH1OP6

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/57777507.S_R_Perricone

The Lydiard Chronicles:

The Lady of the Tower (Book #1)

By Love Divided (Book #2)

Written in Their Stars (Book #3)

by Elizabeth St.John

Duty, passion, and power collide in The Lydiard Chronicles, a gripping trilogy inspired by

true events. Follow three courageous women—survivors, strategists, and storytellers—who defy the constraints of society to shape their family’s fate and England’s future. Their voices echo through time. Their legacy changed a nation.

The Lydiard Chronicles is an award-winning, best-selling historical family saga which brings to life the remarkable true stories of the St.John family. Spanning three compelling novels—The Lady of the Tower, By Love Divided, and Written in Their Stars—the series follows the legacy of resilient and intelligent women who lived as spies, courtiers, and diarists during England’s most turbulent century, navigating the quicksand of love and war, political upheaval, and personal sacrifice.

Bound by fierce family loyalty and unforgettable love, the women of The Lydiard Chronicles defy the limits of their time with passion, courage, and unshakable independence. They endure captivity in the Tower of London, exile in the Louvre Palace, and the heart-wrenching divisions of the English Civil War—fighting not just for survival, but for their beliefs, their families, and the right to choose their own fate. Meticulously researched and vividly told, this epic saga reveals how these women created history from the shadows, leaving a legacy of resilience, defiance, and enduring influence.

Rooted in original diaries, letters, and family papers, The Lydiard Chronicles offers an intimate, biographical portrait of women who moved behind the scenes of power. Serving as trusted secret agents, military wives, and confidantes of kings, they were deeply engaged in the political and religious conflicts of their time. Through tragedy and triumph, the women of The Lydiard Chronicles shape their destinies—and the fate of a nation—in this richly researched and vividly told historical epic.

Buy Links:

Universal Series Buy Link: https://geni.us/TheLydiardChronicles

These titles are available to read on #KindleUnlimited

Hot Summer Reads:

*Each novel is priced at just 99c / 99p July 1st – 15th, 2025*

Guest Post: Ancestors inspiring The Lydiard Chronicles

I’ve always believed that the past dwells within us—that the lives of those who came before can shape, stir, and even speak to us in unexpected ways. Sometimes it’s in the echo of a name, the lines of an old portrait, or a half-remembered story passed down at the dinner table. For me, it began with a feeling I couldn’t quite name: a sense of connection to people long gone, but not forgotten.

Growing up in England, I was surrounded by history. Not just in books, but in the very landscape—ancient churches, ruined castles, crooked streets and pastoral countryside that whispered stories. I didn’t need to be convinced that the past was alive. I felt it. And as I began to learn more about my ancestors—the St.Johns of Lydiard Park—I didn’t just read about them. I imagined them. I saw their lives unfolding like scenes in a novel. I felt their joy, their heartbreak, their strength. It was as though they reached across the centuries and tapped me on the shoulder: Tell our story.

That calling became The Lady of the Tower, a novel inspired by Lucy St.John, a young woman who navigated the dangerous world of the early 1600s and eventually became the Keeper’s wife in the Tower of London. As I wrote, I found myself walking beside her. The letters and portraits I found were powerful, yes—but it was the imaginative leap that truly brought her to life. I could see her tending to her children, tending her curative garden, caring for the prisoners under her watch. She wasn’t just a figure from the past—she became a voice in my head, a heartbeat in my story.

And then I realised I couldn’t stop. One book wasn’t enough. Lucy’s children had their own lives—tangled, courageous, divided by war and loyalty. Allen, Luce, Frances, Nan… they each had something urgent to say. That’s how By Love Divided and Written in Their Stars came to be. I didn’t go looking for a trilogy—it found me. Using Luce’s real-life 17th-century notebooks as a guide, I would finish a chapter, and another scene would insist on being written. These characters—these ancestors—wouldn’t leave me alone. And, truthfully, I didn’t want them to. Their lives were so vivid, so full of passion and complexity, that I felt compelled to give them voice.

Writing historical fiction, for me, is not just about placing real people in imagined scenes—it’s about breathing life into the forgotten and giving space to truths that still resonate today. These women especially—the rebels, the survivors, the risk-takers—taught me what it means to endure, to love fiercely, and to choose conviction over comfort. Their courage became the emotional core of my storytelling.

The Lydiard Chronicles grew from that sense of kinship with the past—a belief that their stories still matter. Not just as history, but as human experience. I didn’t set out to write a family saga. I simply followed the thread of inspiration until it became a tapestry. These stories were hidden within diaries and archives, libraries and museums. They were waiting for me to gather them together and bring them alive. So if you’ve ever felt that pull from the past—a moment of recognition, a strange familiarity in an old photo, a name that lingers—listen to it. You might be standing at the edge of a story that’s been waiting for you all along.

Author Bio:

Elizabeth St.John’s critically acclaimed historical fiction novels tell the stories of her ancestors: extraordinary women whose intriguing kinship with England’s kings and queens brings an intimately unique perspective to Medieval, Tudor, and Stuart times.

Inspired by family archives and residences from Lydiard Park to the Tower of London, Elizabeth spends much of her time exploring ancestral portraits, diaries, and lost gardens. And encountering the occasional ghost. But that’s another story.

Living between California, England, and the past, Elizabeth is the International Ambassador for The Friends of Lydiard Park, an English charity dedicated to conserving and enhancing this beautiful centuries-old country house and park. As a curator for The Lydiard Archives, she is constantly looking for an undiscovered treasure to inspire her next novel.

Elizabeth’s works include The Lydiard Chronicles, a family saga set in 17th-century England during the Civil War, and The Godmother’s Secret, which unravels the medieval mystery of the missing princes in the Tower of London. Her latest release, The King’s Intelligencer, follows Franny Apsley in the treacherous court of Charles II as she risks everything to uncover the dangerous truth behind the discovery of the princes’ bones.

Author Links:

Website:          https://www.elizabethjstjohn.com/

Facebook:       https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethJStJohn/

LinkedIn:        https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethjstjohn/

Instagram:       https://www.instagram.com/elizabethjstjohn/

Threads:          https://www.threads.net/@elizabethjstjohn

Bluesky:          https://bsky.app/profile/elizabethstjohn.bsky.social

Book Bub:       https://www.bookbub.com/profile/elizabeth-st-john

Amazon Author Page:     https://geni.us/AmazonElizabethStJohn

Goodreads:      https://geni.us/GoodreadsElizStJohn

FATE: Tales of History, Mystery and Magic

If you had a crystal ball to predict what lay ahead, would you be tempted to use it? Or would you leave the future to the turn of Fate?

Tales of Variety. Tales of History, Mystery and Magic – some comprising just one of these popular fiction genres, others, a mild mixture of all three. Perhaps you prefer historical fiction rather than a story about magic or fantasy? Maybe you enjoy exploring new themes or prefer sticking to the familiar? Historical fiction can often inform, imparting knowledge of the past, of its events and its people. Stories of mystery exercise the ‘little grey cells’ as Poirot would say, while fantasy and magic create new worlds and awed wonder.

Whatever result, this is where anthologies come into their own, and where short stories are often appreciated as enjoyable, entertaining, quick or easy reads shown through the eyes of a variety of extraordinary characters and situations. In this instance: an Anglo-Saxon woman facing the consequence of conquest, the pursuit of alchemy, the concern of a mother for her daughter, the shifting of time, the necessity of hidden identity, souls who will linger as ghosts, a warning from the supernatural, the necessity for (justifiable?) revenge. All mingled with the rekindling of romance through a mutual quest, and the preparations for a Cotswold village celebration. (Along with a good tip if illicitly snaffling cakes.)

The binding theme? Destiny… Kismet… FATE!

Amazon Universal link: https://mybook.to/FateAnthology

Author Bios

BRAMBLE CREEP BY ANNIE WHITEHEAD

When the Normans arrive at a peaceful Anglo-Saxon village, do the women, children and old men submit… or fight?

ABOUT ANNIE:

Annie Whitehead is a prize-winning writer, historian, and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and has written four award-winning novels set in ‘Anglo-Saxon’ Mercia. She has contributed to fiction and nonfiction anthologies and written for various magazines. She has twice been a prize winner in the Mail on Sunday Novel Writing Competition, and won First Prize in the 2012 New Writer Magazine’s Prose and Poetry Competition. She has been a finalist in the Tom Howard Prize for nonfiction and was shortlisted for the Exeter Story Prize and Trisha Ashley Award 2021. She was the winner of the inaugural Historical Writers’ Association (HWA)/Dorothy Dunnett Prize 2017 and was subsequently a judge for that same competition. She has also been a judge for the HNS (Historical Novel Society) Short Story Competition, and was a 2024 judge for the HWA Crown Nonfiction Award.

Her nonfiction books are Mercia: The Rise and Fall of a Kingdom and Women of Power in Anglo-Saxon. In 2023 she contributed to a new history of English monarchs, published by Hodder & Stoughton, and in February 2025 Murder in Anglo-Saxon England was published by Amberley Books.

Website: https://anniewhiteheadauthor.co.uk/

Amazon Author Page: http://viewauthor.at/Annie-Whitehead

SIX POMEGRANATE SEEDS BY JEAN GILL

A daughter’s dream can be a mother’s nightmare.

ABOUT JEAN

Jean Gill is an award-winning Welsh writer and photographer living in the south of France with a scruffy dog, a beehive named ‘Endeavour’, a Nikon D750 and a man. First published in 1988, her twenty-six books are varied in genre, including novels, memoir, military history, dog books, poetry, and a cookery book on goat cheese. With Scottish parents, an English birthplace and French residence, she can usually support the winning team on most sporting occasions. She taught English for many years and was the first woman to be a comprehensive school headteacher in Dyfed, Wales. Life has been hectic as she is also mother or stepmother to five children.

Website: www.jeangill.com

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/jeangill

ONE BLACK DOG BY MARIAN L THORPE

A warning of Fate, or simply too much beer and a tale well told?

ABOUT MARIAN

A dual Canadian/British citizen who divides her year between Ontario, Canada, and Norfolk, UK, Marian published the first of her eight-book Empire’s Legacy series, historically-inspired speculative fiction, in 2015. The series is set in a world ‘on the edge of history’: reminiscent of Britain, Northern Europe, and Rome in the latter centuries of the first millennium, but a world where society evolved differently after the Eastern Empire left; a world where one young fisherwoman answers her leader’s call to defend her country, beginning a journey into uncharted territory.

Website: www.marianlthorpe.com

Amazon Author Page: https://relinks.me/MarianLThorpe

IN THE SHADOW OF GHOSTS BY HELEN HOLLICK

Does the fate of those who survive linger forever?

ABOUT HELEN

Known for her captivating storytelling and rich attention to historical detail, Helen’s historical fiction, nautical adventure series, cosy mysteries – and her short stories – skilfully invite readers to step into worlds where the boundaries between fact and  fiction blend together. Helen started writing as a teenager, but after discovering a passion for history, was initially published in 1993 in the UK with her Arthurian Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy and two Anglo-Saxon novels about the events that led to the 1066 Battle of Hastings, one of which, The Forever Queen (USA title – A Hollow Crown in the UK) became a USA Today best-seller. Her Sea Witch Voyages are nautical-based adventures inspired by the Golden Age of Piracy. She also writes the Jan Christopher cosy mystery series set during the 1970s, and based around her, sometimes hilarious, years of working as a North London library assistant. Her 2025 release is Ghost Encounters, a book about the ghosts of North Devon.

Helen and her family moved from London to Devon after a Lottery win on the opening night of the London Olympics, 2012. She spends her time glowering at the overgrown garden, fending off the geese, helping with the horses and wishing the friendly, resident ghosts would occasionally help with the housework…

Website: https://helenhollick.net/

Amazon Author Page: https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick

A FATEFUL ENCOUNTER BY ALISON MORTON

When time turns in the wrong direction, fate will always step in…

ABOUT ALISON

Alison Morton writes award-winning thrillers featuring tough but compassionate heroines. Her eleven-book Roma Nova thriller series is set in an imaginary European country where a remnant of the ancient Roman Empire has survived into the 21st century and is ruled by women who face conspiracy, revolution and heartache but with a sharp line in dialogue

Six years’ military service, a fascination with ancient Rome and a life of reading crime, historical and thriller fiction have inspired her writing. On the way, she collected a BA in modern languages and an MA in history. She lives in Poitou in France, the home of Mélisende, the heroine of her latest two contemporary thrillers, Double Identity and Double Pursuit.

Website: https://www.alison-morton.com

Amazon Author Page: https://Author.to/AlisonMortonAmazon

FOLLOWING FATE BY ELIZABETH ST.JOHN

A Lost Portrait, a Hidden Conspiracy, and a Second Chance at Love

ABOUT ELIZABETH

Elizabeth St.John’s acclaimed historical fiction brings to life her ancestors – remarkable women linked to England’s royalty – offering unique insights into Medieval, Tudor, and Stuart times. Inspired by family archives and historic sites like Lydiard Park and the Tower of London, her novels include The Lydiard Chronicles, The Godmother’s Secret, and The King’s Intelligencer, exploring the English Civil War and the mystery of the Princes in the Tower.

Website: www.elizabethjstjohn.com

Amazon Author Page: https://geni.us/AmazonElizabethStJohn

THE BLACK ONYX BOX BY R. MARSDEN

The Bluffer’s Guide to Becoming a Famous Alchemist

ABOUT R. MARSDEN

R. Marsden is an author and musician, passionate about the Middle Ages. He plays the gittern, a beautiful medieval stringed instrument, ancestor of the guitar; and a thirteenth century recorder, a replica of one which was excavated from medieval ruins in modern-day Poland. He also plays the piano, and there’s nothing medieval about that!

Tales of Castle Rory are Medieval Fantasy Adventures, in which the demesne of Lord Rory of Hambrig is brought to life. Set in the latter part of the thirteenth century, these stories have adventure, mystery and magic at their heart. You’ll also find relationships, romance, friendship and the forging and breaking of ties between people and nations. Running through the Tales are themes of family, loyalty, trust and resilience, together with the other sides of those coins: abandonment, betrayal, loss and disempowerment.

Website: https://talesofcastlerory.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554417124566

Amazon Author Page: https://mybook.to/TalesOfCastleRory

BEWARE THE CROWS  BY ANNA BELFRAGE

Beware the consequences of hatred. Revenge can take many forms…

ABOUT ANNA

Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with three absorbing interests: history, romance and writing. Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th century England, and The Castilian Saga, which is set against the medieval conquest of Wales. She has also published a time travel romance, The Whirlpools of Time, and its sequel Times of Turmoil,  and is now considering just how to wiggle out of setting the next book in that series in Peter the Great’s Russia, as her characters are demanding. . .

All of Anna’s books have been awarded the IndieBRAG Medallion, she has several Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choices, and one of her books won the HNS Indie Award in 2015. She is also the proud recipient of various Reader’s Favourite medals as well as having won various Gold, Silver and Bronze Coffee Pot Book Club awards.

Website: www.annabelfrage.com 

Amazon Author Page: http://Author.to/ABG

DAME FORTUNE’S WHEEL B Y J.P. REEDMAN

Fate can be in the hands of others – or held within your own…

ABOUT J.P. REEDMAN

J.P. Reedman lives in Wiltshire near to Stonehenge. Born in Canada, she has had a lifelong interest in ancient and medieval history, and is often found lurking around prehistoric sites, ruined castles and abbeys, and interesting churches with camera in hand. She became a full-time writer in 2018. Series include  I, Richard Plantagenet, five books chronicling Richard’s life from childhood to Bosworth, and Medieval Babes, a set of standalone novels about lesser-known medieval queens and noblewomen.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IRichardPlantagenet/

Amazon Author Page:  author.to/REEDMANHISTFIC

SAINTS ALIVE BY DEBBIE YOUNG

When children are not quite the saints we’d like them to be!

ABOUT DEBBIE YOUNG

Debbie Young is the author of three series of cosy mystery novels set in the Cotswolds. The Sophie Sayers series starts with Best Murder in Show; the Gemma Lamb series begins with Dastardly Deeds at St Bride’s; and the Cotswold Curiosity Shop series kicks off with Death at the Old Curiosity Shop. She sometimes sends characters from one series to visit those in another. She also writes short fiction, not all of it crime-related, set in the same world, eg Christmas with Sophie Sayers. Her novels are published by Boldwood Books in English, by DP Verlag in German, and by Antonio Vallardi in Italian. She has recently written her first murder mystery play for performance by her village amateur dramatic group. She is a frequent speaker at events for writers and readers, a course tutor for Jericho Writers, and the founder and director of the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival. She lives in a Victorian cottage with her Scottish husband, her student daughter, and three cats, and she writes in a little hut at the bottom of her garden.

Website: www.authordebbieyoung.com

Links to buy Debbie’s books:

https://authordebbieyoung.com/books-2/

YouTube book Trailer: https://youtu.be/M9pSrDX8PTQ?si=sqe7R1JpQoGwUjrb

Death and The Poet

by Fiona Forsyth

14 AD.

When Dokimos the vegetable seller is found bludgeoned to death in the Black Sea town of Tomis, it’s the most exciting thing to have happened in the region for years. Now reluctantly settled into life in exile, the disgraced Roman poet Ovid helps his friend Avitius to investigate the crime, with the evidence pointing straight at a cuckolded neighbour.

But Ovid is also on edge, waiting for the most momentous death of all. Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome, is nearing his end, and the future of the whole Roman world is uncertain.

Even as far away as Tomis, this political shadow creates tension as the pompous Roman legate Flaccus thinks more of his career than solving a local murder.

Avitius and Ovid become convinced that an injustice has been done in the case of the murdered vegetable seller. But Flaccus continues to turn a deaf ear.

When Ovid’s wife, Fabia, arrives unexpectedly, carrying a cryptic message from the Empress Livia, the poet becomes distracted – and another crime is committed.

Ovid hopes for a return to Rome – only to discover that he is under threat from an enemy much closer to home.

Guest post – Ovid and his three wives

When you decide to write about the Roman poet Ovid, the place to start is his autobiographical poem Tristia 4.10. This is a poem written in (probably) the second or third year of the poet’s exile in Tomis on the shore of the Black Sea, probably around 10 or 11 CE. There is no way of checking any of the information in it, but equally there seems no reason for the poet to lie, especially as the poem was sent back to Rome to be circulated. In this poem, Ovid devotes these lines to his three wives – I hope you don’t mind some Latin! I have translated it underneath.

paene mihi puero nec digna nec utilis uxor
     est data, quae tempus perbreve nupta fuit.                    
illi successit, quamvis sine crimine coniunx,
     non tamen in nostro firma futura toro.
ultima, quae mecum seros permansit in annos,
     sustinuit coniunx exulis esse viri.

Barely out of childhood I was given a wife who was neither use nor ornament, married to me for a short time. Her successor, while a blameless partner, was not to remain rooted in my bed. The last, the stalwart of my later years, has stuck it out as the wife of a man in exile.

It is startling how swiftly – and dismissively – these three women are listed. In a poem of 132 lines the wives get six lines. None of the three are named and there is no obvious reason for this – other women are named in the exile poetry. And what happened to Wife One and Wife Two?

Wife One, poor woman, is brutally summarised for history as “nec digna nec utilis” (literally: neither worthy nor useful), then is waved away, presumably divorced. Let us hope that this poem, once circulated at Rome, did not reach her or her family. Wife Two is given her brief two lines and it is harder to work out what happened to her. What is the meaning of that curious phrase “non tamen in nostro firma futura toro” (literally: however she was not to be firm in my bed)? Did Wife Two fall out of bed a lot? Were the sheets slippery? Most assume that since she is described as “sine crimine” (literally: without charge / blame), she either died or was divorced through no fault of her own, and the latter is quite possible if Ovid saw a better chance on the horizon. In either case, to describe her as “not firm in my bed” seems callous! Wife Three at least is given credit for her loyalty but gets no more space than the previous two.

So who was Wife Three, the loyal wife who stayed at home and campaigned for Ovid? There is one important reference to this – in a poem to a man called Fabius Maximus, Ovid says “I was given a wife from your house”. If Ovid married into the family of Fabius Maximus, then he was doing well for Fabius was a good friend of the Emperor, from one of the top families in Rome and had held the top job of consul in 11 BCE. If we assume that this woman was a daughter or niece, we at least know a name – she would have been called Fabia.

Ovid’s third wife appears often in his exile poetry and several poems are addressed to her. We are told how she wept in Ovid’s arms as he departed Rome on that fateful December day in 8 CE, and begged to go with him, but he would not let her. I don’t think this was for any noble reason, rather he needed her to stay in Rome and work on his behalf, but he did seem to miss her. In one poem, he tells her how much he thinks of her and that he often talks to her though she is not there. In another poem, Ovid asks Fabia to plead for him to the wife of the Emperor, Livia herself. The work Fabia did in lobbying for her husband in Rome was very important and given her family connections Ovid must have felt optimistic.

In 14 CE though, Fabius Maximus fell out with Augustus and committed suicide. Ovid lost a powerful supporter – and Fabia lost someone close to her, possibly even her father. When in August the Emperor himself died, it may have occurred to both Ovid and Fabia that her power as a lobbyist had diminished considerably. If Ovid missed Fabia as much as he says, then this was a good time for the loyal third wife to make the journey to Tomis. It is hard to date Ovid’s exile poetry with much accuracy, but it is noticeable that he stops addressing poems to his wife long before the poems themselves end.

In “Death and the Poet”, therefore, I decided that Ovid would be joined by his wife Fabia after the death of her father Fabius Maximus. I gave her a dramatic and completely unhistorical reason for her journey, which would have been a considerable undertaking for anyone in those days. And if Ovid missed Rome then I’m sure Fabia did too. I hope her husband appreciated her!

I must end this by recommending the journal repository JSTOR, which along with Academia is one of my research staples. Even their free memberships give generous access to articles and I found the two listed below to be entertaining and helpful in giving me the confidence to go ahead with my ideas. Without them, Ovid’s third wife may never have joined him in Tomis.

References

The family relationships of Ovid’s third wife: a reconsideration

Anne-Marie Lewis

Ancient Society, Vol. 43 (2013), pp. 151-189 (39 pages

Mr and Mrs Ovid

Martin Helzle

Greece & Rome, Vol. 36, No. 2 (Oct. 1989), pp. 183-193 (11 pages)

Buy Link:      

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/brx0WY

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Author Bio:

Fiona studied Classics at Oxford before teaching it for 25 years. A family move to Qatar gave her the opportunity to write about ancient Rome, and she is now back in the UK, working on her seventh novel.

Author Links:

Website: https://substack.com/@fionaforsyth1

Twitter: https://x.com/for_fi

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fionaforsythauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fionaforsythauthor/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/fionawriter.bsky.social

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/fiona-forsyth

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Fiona-Forsyth/author/B001KI2DEC

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/256269.Fiona_Forsyth

Nothing Proved

by Janet Wertman

Danger lined her path, but destiny led her to glory…

Elizabeth Tudor learned resilience young. Declared illegitimate after the execution of her mother Anne Boleyn, she bore her precarious position with unshakable grace. But upon the death of her father, King Henry VIII, the vulnerable fourteen-year-old must learn to navigate a world of shifting loyalties, power plays, and betrayal.

After narrowly escaping entanglement in Thomas Seymour’s treason, Elizabeth rebuilds her reputation as the perfect Protestant princess – which puts her in mortal danger when her half-sister Mary becomes Queen and imposes Catholicism on a reluctant land. Elizabeth escapes execution, clawing her way from a Tower cell to exoneration. But even a semblance of favor comes with attempts to exclude her from the throne or steal her rights to it through a forced marriage. 

Elizabeth must outwit her enemies time and again to prove herself worthy of power. The making of one of history’s most iconic monarchs is a gripping tale of survival, fortune, and triumph.

Buy Links:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/bM8Vrk

Additional Buy Links:

Barnes & Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nothing-proved-janet-wertman/1146831389

Kobo:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/nothing-proved

Apple:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/nothing-proved/id6740549129

Review

It’s always a good sign of an excellent historical fiction novel when the author can bring tension into a story that, let’s be honest, at least 99% of their readers must surely know the end of. And yet that’s what’s captured here. I truly couldn’t put the book down, and did the classic “dropping the phone on my nose” whilst trying to keep my eyes open to finish the next chapter, so unwilling to stop reading for the night.

We meet Elizabeth Tudor as a young girl, in the classroom, where we are also introduced to some of the characters that will help shape her life, as well as becoming her staunchest allies. And whilst Robert Dudley does of course feature, the relationship I found most interesting in this book was her early and ongoing connection with William Cecil. Being a staunch Marian personally, he’s so often cast as the ‘bad guy’ in the books I read, and to see the changing Tudor world through his eyes, as well as Elizabeth’s, was fascinating. It’s hard to comprehend the terror and confusion which must have been so prevalent with changing religion and rules, and this is presented so beautifully here, as we hear Elizabeth’s (and others’) words, against their inner thoughts and turmoil, as they battle, in some cases, simply to stay alive.

Throughout each stage of the book, the political intrigue in which Elizabeth found herself is perfectly pitched; sufficient detail is given to follow the complicated webs, and yet always in a natural manner, with no sense of over-exposition. The narrative simply kept flowing, keeping me hooked until the very end.

I would highly recommend this book for fans of the Tudor period, and since this is only Book One of the Regina series, and the author has also written a trilogy about the Seymour family, there is plenty more to keep those pages turning!

Author Bio

By day, Janet Wertman is a freelance grantwriter for impactful nonprofits. By night, she writes critically acclaimed, character-driven historical fiction – indulging a passion for the Tudor era she had harbored since she was eight years old and her parents let her stay up late to watch The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R.

Her Seymour Saga trilogy (Jane the Quene, The Path to Somerset, The Boy King) took her deep into one of the era’s central families – and now her follow-up Regina series explores Elizabeth’s journey from bastard to icon.

Janet also runs a blog (www.janetwertman.com) where she posts interesting takes on the Tudors and what it’s like to write about them.

Author Links:

Website: https://janetwertman.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janetwertmanauthor/     

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janet-ambrosi-wertman-b5531aa/        

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janetwertman/  

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/janetwertman.bsky.social   

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/janetwertman     

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/janet-wertman    

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Janet-Wertman/author/B01CUSMWFA     

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2028387.Janet_Ambrosi_Wertman           

Hello everyone!

Hope everyone UK-based had a lovely Bank Holiday weekend?

This is just a brief note to let you know that I’m currently exploring the new (to me) Substack platform. You can find my account here, with my most recent post, a “get to know you” set of questions, here.

I’m still very much finding my feet, but if you have a Substack, please do head over and subscribe to my page to receive my latest posts and newsletters.

I’d love to come and find you too, so do let me know your handles so I can come and read your posts and notes.