History Buffs United discussion

I've been an avid archaeology buff since my Dad brought home a full-color coffee table book on Tutankhamen. My dream of becoming an archaeologist changed to becoming an RN but history and archaeology are two of my most favorite things.

I started writing historical fiction in 2004, and I'm getting ready to self publish my 2nd ancient historical, The Fury of Dragons. It's based on a document written by St. Patrick, in which he condemns the British pirates who stole his newly baptized converts and "gave girls away like prizes."

I love ancient history and wish I had a time machine!

That sounds fascinating, Renee! I love the research side, too, though mine aren't (for now) quite so far back as yours!

What time period are you writing in, Lexie? Are you published?

Self-published, Regency Scotland for the most part with dabbling elsewhere. I note you said elsewhere you'd had a good research trip to England and Scotland - whereabouts did you end up? I'd have gone to Northern Ireland for St. Patrick, but I'm showing my ignorance there!

Actually, Patrick spent a lot of time in what's called the Midlands, all though he traveled all over Ireland. He would go to a hillfort and ask the top chieftain if he could camp outside the gates. If he received permission, he and his band would basically set up camp and practice doing life together, and hope to meet people to share the gospel.

Where do your Regencies take place? That is a time period I know very little of.

Hey, I just bought your first book in the series!

Oh, thanks! The first (you'll have noticed) is in St. Andrews, as is the tenth. In between there's Fife, Edinburgh, Delhi (bit of a departure, that one) and Wigtownshire on the south west coast. The other series is so far just in Ballater, on Royal Deeside (though before it was Royal). Hope you enjoy it!

When is yours coming out? I'm looking forward to it!

I'm sure I will! I love Scotland. My book that I'm self publishing takes place in Roman Britain, now southern Scotland, and northern England. I visited both to research it. The three main places in the story are the Fortress of the Britain's in modern day Strathclyde, Luguvalium, now Carlisle, England, and Whithorn, in southwest Scotland, where St. Ninian has his "Candid Casa," the white church on the hill, so called because it was covered in whitewash, unusual in those times. I think I went to Wigtownshire - isn't that where they have all the booksellers?

Certainly is! Lots of them. Haven't been for far too long.

When you mention Delhi, do you mean India? I spent three months there in 1978.

Oh, really? I was in India only for three weeks in, um, 1997, but I have a strong family connexion with the Himalayan region in particular so there's a good deal of toing and froing. What took you there?

HI Melina!

They have been slow. I'm not great at the marketing side, but I recently had a new website built. www.reneeyancy.com So I'm working on it. Are you an author?

Great! What time period is your story?

I will check out your blog. I've written several novels and novellas in that time period! I just finished one set in 1918 against the background of WWI and the pandemic flu of 1918. And I have a student nurse at Bellevue Hospital. How about that? Do you have a critique partner?

I just signed up for your blog. It looks very interesting. Guess we are kindred spirits! If you sign up for my newsletter, you can get a free copy of my first traditionally published novella set in the Gilded Age.

I just read your blog post on the awful experience you had with a beta reader. If you need/want a critique partner, I'd be happy to oblige. I believe we must have honest feedback, but we can be supportive and encouraging about it. I'm sorry you had to go through that. My email is reneeyancy@reneeyancy.com if you would like to discuss it. And I'd love to be a guest blogger sometime!

OK, Melina. So nice to meet you.