Today, please welcome my friend and fellow historical fiction author Aimie K. Runyan, whose debut historical novel Promised to the Crown releases on April 26 from Kensington Books. If creative writing classes do nothing else, they train a writer to work on a deadline and to hunt for ideas everywhere. A lot of people may scoff at trying to learn writing in a formal classroom setting, but if it weren’t for a creative writing class I took on a lark when I was in graduate school, PROMISED TO THE CROWN might not exist. I was in my last semester at Indiana University,
Read morehistorical fiction
An Interview with Kim Rendfeld
Please welcome Kim Rendfeld, whose new historical novel THE ASHES OF HEAVEN’S PILLAR (Fireship Press) released this month. 772 AD: Charlemagne’s battles in Saxony have left Leova with nothing but her two children, Deorlaf and Sunwynn. Her beloved husband died in combat. Her faith lies shattered in the ashes of the Irminsul, the Pillar of Heaven. The relatives obligated to defend her and her family instead sell them into slavery. In Francia, Leova is resolved to protect her son and daughter, even if it means sacrificing her own honor. Her determination only grows stronger as Sunwynn blossoms into a beautiful
Read moreWho’s Guilty? God Knows : A Guest Post by Kim Rendfeld
Who’s Guilty? God Knows. By Kim Rendfeld Delve into the justice system of early medieval Francia and you might find yourself grateful for what we have today, imperfect as it is. And I’m not only talking about the punishments for the guilty: slit nostrils, the slow strangulation of hanging, chopping off a hand, the witch’s death of being sealing in a barrel and thrown into a river, or the traitor’s death of being tied to stallions and torn apart, to just give a few examples. Even with recognizable elements such as oaths, the trials themselves are problematic to a modern
Read moreAn Interview With Marci Jefferson
Please welcome Marci Jefferson, author of the debut historical novel GIRL ON THE GOLDEN COIN (Thomas Dunne Books, February 2014)! Years after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University, immersing herself in a Quality Assurance nursing career, and then having children, Marci realized she’d neglected her passion for history and writing. She began traveling, writing along the way, delving into various bits of history that caught her fancy. The plot for GIRL ON THE GOLDEN COIN evolved slowly after a trip to London, where she first learned about the Stuart royals. Marci is a member of the Historical Novel Society. She resides in the Midwest
Read moreHappy Release Day, JOSEPHINE!
Today marks the release of BECOMING JOSEPHINE, a fabulous debut novel by Heather Webb. BECOMING JOSEPHINE tells the story of Rose Tascher – better known to history as Josephine Bonaparte (Napoleon’s first wife). I loved this book for many reasons. I’ll address them in more depth in my review (look for that a week from Friday) but the book is beautifully paced, tightly plotted, and takes a close, personal look at the life of an extraordinary and complicated woman. People know Josephine as “Napoleon’s wife,” and many books on Josephine focus on her years at Napoleon’s side. Heather’s Josephine starts out as
Read moreAn Interview with Erika Robuck
Please welcome Erika Robuck, author of the newly released CALL ME ZELDA (NAL/Penguin, May 2013), a novel of Zelda Fitzgerald. Erika Robuck self-published her first novel, RECEIVE ME FALLING. Her novel, HEMINGWAY’S GIRL (NAL/Penguin), was a Target Emerging Author Pick, a Vero Beach Bestseller, and has been sold in two foreign markets to date. Her latest novel, CALL ME ZELDA (NAL/Penguin), was just released, and begins in the years “after the party” for Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Erika writes about and reviews historical fiction at her blog, Muse, and is a contributor to fiction blog, Writer Unboxed. She is also
Read moreAn Interview with Anne Easter Smith
Please welcome Anne Easter Smith, author of the upcoming historical novel ROYAL MISTRESS (Touchstone, May 2013) Anne is an award-winning historical novelist whose research and writing concentrates on England in the 15th century. Meticulous historical research, rich period detail, and compelling female protagonists combine to provide the reader with a sweeping portrait of England in the time of the Wars of the Roses. Her critically acclaimed first book, A Rose for the Crown, debuted in 2006, and her third, The King’s Grace, was the recipient of a Romantic Times Review Best Biography award in 2009. A Queen by Right has
Read moreAn Interview With Deanna Raybourn
Please welcome New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn, who’s talking with us today about her new release, A SPEAR OF SUMMER GRASS (Harlequin MIRA, April 2013): A sixth-generation native Texan, New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a double major in English and history. Deanna makes her home in Virginia, where she is hard at work on her next novel. Paris, 1923 The daughter of a scandalous mother, Delilah Drummond is already notorious, even amongst Paris society. But her latest scandal is big enough to make even her oft-married
Read moreAn Interview With Robin Martinez Rice
Help me welcome Robin Martinez Rice, author of the historical novel IMPERFECTA (January, 2013) Robin Martinez Rice was born in Oakland, California many moons ago. She earned a degree in Psychology at Mills College and her Masters of Sciences degree in Counseling/ School Psychology at Cal State Hayward. After many years as an Educational Psychologist and Marriage Family Therapist she retired to follow her dream of writing. Robin has family roots in Northern New Mexico. She has traveled back to the Southwest many times, as the magic of this place invaded her spirit. Her writing ranges from mystical tales to
Read moreAn Interview with Tracy Grant
Please welcome Tracy Grant, author of the new historical mystery THE PARIS AFFAIR (Kensington, March 26, 2013) Teresa (Tracy) Grant studied British history at Stanford University and received the Firestone Award for Excellence in Research for her honors thesis on shifting conceptions of honor in late fifteenth century England. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, with her young daughter and three cats, and is on the board of the Merola Opera Program, a professional training program for opera singers, pianists, and stage directors. Her real life heroine is her daughter Mélanie, who is very cooperative about Mummy’s writing. Tracy is currently
Read more