Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from November, 2024

#HistFicThursdays - Teaching Gothic Horror to the Next Generation

Of course, when I volunteered to write a blog for #HistFicThursdays, it was bound to be Gothic-based. All the pupils at school know now that, if they get me for English, they will be studying some Gothic Horror at some point! I have just taught my first full year of National 5, and the text I selected for the pupils’ Critical Essay (worth 20% of the overall grade) was A Warning to the Curious by the great M. R. James. There are so many fascinating things which can be said about the text: Paxton as a tragic hero; the setting of the First World War and how that is woven in throughout the text; the themes of revenge and respect for beliefs; the many examples of foreshadowing throughout… But teaching a group of teenagers to love (or, more realistically, to understand) M. R. James is not without its challenges. He writes in that wonderfully lyrical style which is key to the Gothic genre and, even for his time, he was using language which was perhaps slightly old-fashioned. Therefore, some ...
Post a Comment
Read more

#HistFicThursdays - To Wear a Heart So White (Again!)

Yes, yes, I know it's this one again, but this is the last time it can count as a New Release! This month, this little book has sold dozens of copies and had thousands of page reads. So, if you're not one of those people... what are you waiting for?! So let's meet the book... A cost for every action, and a price for every deed. The Historical Writers’ Forum proudly presents seven stories of Crime and Punishment, from across the ages. From an anchoress to a war hero; from Italy to Missouri; this anthology has a story for everyone. Included stories are: The Ignoble Defence  - Virginia Crow Agatha’s Eyes  - Rachel Aanstad A Pact Fulfilled  - Eleanor Swift-Hook Carte de Viste  - Ronan Beckman A Dish Served Cold  - Brenda W. Clough Shadows of the Adriatic  - Tessa Floreano A Dangerous Road  - D. Apple To Wear a Heart So White  is available  here  on  #KindleUnlimited Now, let's meet the authors... Virginia Crow Virginia Crow is an award-...
Post a Comment
Read more

#HistFicThursdays - A Little Shameless Promotion!

 Today, I'm actually sending you somewhere else for #HistFicThursdays! I'm over on Sharon Bennett Connolly's fabulous blog History... The Interesting Bits!  where I'm discussing The Bocksten Man, and the appeal nameless people in history have for Historical Fiction writers. Head over and have a read: Nameless Not Faceless . Psst! This is the book I'm talking about: To Wear a Heart So White  is available   here   on   #KindleUnlimited A cost for every action, and a price for every deed. The Historical Writers’ Forum proudly presents seven stories of Crime and Punishment, from across the ages. From an anchoress to a war hero; from Italy to Missouri; this anthology has a story for everyone. Included stories are: The Ignoble Defence  - Virginia Crow Agatha’s Eyes  - Rachel Aanstad A Pact Fulfilled  - Eleanor Swift-Hook Carte de Viste  - Ronan Beckman A Dish Served Cold  - Brenda W. Clough Shadows of the Adriatic  - Tessa Floreano A...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Dangerous Road - D. Apple - Qs&As

  Today, I'm thrilled to be able to share an interview with author D. Apple, whose story,  A Dangerous Road , is included in the  Historical Writers Forum 's new anthology,  To Wear a Heart So White . Take a look at the video below to hear about the inspiration behind her story, her love of research, and the attraction of writing real people... So let's meet the book... A cost for every action, and a price for every deed. The Historical Writers’ Forum proudly presents seven stories of Crime and Punishment, from across the ages. From an anchoress to a war hero; from Italy to Missouri; this anthology has a story for everyone. Included stories are: The Ignoble Defence  - Virginia Crow Agatha’s Eyes  - Rachel Aanstad A Pact Fulfilled  - Eleanor Swift-Hook Carte de Viste  - Ronan Beckman A Dish Served Cold  - Brenda W. Clough Shadows of the Adriatic  - Tessa Floreano A Dangerous Road  - D. Apple To Wear a Heart So White  is ava...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shadows of the Adriatic - Tessa Floreano - Qs&As

   Today, we're continuing our author interviews for the Historical Writers Forum's new anthology,  To Wear a Heart So White . I'm delighted to be sharing an interview with Tessa Floreano on the Crowvus blog, to talk about her story,  Shadows of the Adriatic . Read on to hear all about her inspiration, writing believable characters, and encouraging readers to see beyond the surface... First of all, can you please tell us about yourself and your writing? I am a dual Italian-Canadian citizen residing in the Pacific Northwest, which makes me a pseudo-American, at least that is what The Husband calls me. I enjoy traveling, gardening, reading, and all things Italian. By candlelight and moonlight, I write history about Italians—real and imagined—with a laptop, typewriter, and fountain pens at the ready. My historical era sweet spot ranges from the Gilded Age to the interwar period of the 1920s and 1930s. My stories are always about Italians because they are the people...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Dish Served Cold - Brenda W. Clough - Qs&As

  Today, we're continuing our author interviews for the Historical Writers Forum's new anthology, To Wear a Heart So White . I'm thrilled to be welcoming Brenda W. Clough onto the Crowvus blog, to talk about her story,  A Dish Served Cold . Read on to hear all about her inspiration, writing pre-existing characters, and gems uncovered during research... First of all, can you please tell us about yourself and your writing? I am best known for science fiction and fantasy – my first novel came out in 1984 from DAW Books. All my stuff overlaps with historical, however – historical SF, historical fantasy, and sometimes just straight historical! A great example of this was in Clarkesworld Magazine last year, where “Clio’s Scroll” came out. It’s first contact with aliens, time travel, and Dante Alighieri in 13th century Tuscany. In relation to A Dish Served Cold, where did your inspiration come from? I’ve written twelve novels about Miss Marian Halcombe, first seen in Wilkie Coll...
Post a Comment
Read more

Carte de Viste - Ronan Beckman - Qs&As

Today, I'm delighted to be able to share an interview with author Ronan Beckman, whose story Carte de Viste  is included in the Historical Writers Forum 's new anthology, To Wear a Heart So White . Take a look at the video below to hear about Ronan's inspiration for this story, the art of writing flashback sequences, and bringing his ancestors' stories to life... So let's meet the book... A cost for every action, and a price for every deed. The Historical Writers’ Forum proudly presents seven stories of Crime and Punishment, from across the ages. From an anchoress to a war hero; from Italy to Missouri; this anthology has a story for everyone. Included stories are: The Ignoble Defence  - Virginia Crow Agatha’s Eyes  - Rachel Aanstad A Pact Fulfilled  - Eleanor Swift-Hook Carte de Viste  - Ronan Beckman A Dish Served Cold  - Brenda W. Clough Shadows of the Adriatic  - Tessa Floreano A Dangerous Road  - D. Apple To Wear a Heart So White  is avai...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Pact Fulfilled - Eleanor Swift-Hook - Qs&As

For today's #HistFicThursdays blog, I'm delighted to be welcoming Eleanor Swift-Hook onto the Crowvus blog, to talk about her story, A Pact Fulfilled , which is included in To Wear A Heart So White , the new Historical Writers Forum anthology. Read on to hear all about her inspiration, writing real people, and the importance of research... First of all, can you please tell us about yourself and your writing? According to my mother I’ve been writing stories ever since I first learned how to form words with a pencil. In those days I even illustrated them as well, but sadly my artistic talent did not keep pace with my literary enthusiasm. Although I have written other things, I started writing historical fiction relatively recently, driven by my passion for the early modern period, especially the tumultuous times in the 17th century. My Lord’s Legacy series of books is set in the First English Civil War, one of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, and my latest series explores the grim...
Post a Comment
Read more

Agatha's Eyes - Rachel Aanstad - Qs&As

 Today is the first day in a series of interviews for the stories of the Historical Writers Forum  anthology, To Wear a Heart So White . Our first interview is with Rachel Aanstad who is the author of the story, Agatha's Eyes . So let's meet Rachel and hear more about her story... First of all, can you please tell us about yourself and your writing? I’ve been fascinated by history since I was a little girl. My playtimes always involved pretending I was something like a priestess in Ancient Egypt or a Lady in Waiting at Queen Elizabeth I court. I was always interested in the lives of people who weren’t monarchs or wildly famous.  Over the years I have been lucky to be able to explore a variety of careers. I worked as a radio DJ, a bookkeeper, an architect, an illustrator, a set designer, a Shakespeare director, a gardener, a teacher, a writer, and a medicinal herbalist. I have lived all over the US and traveled in Asia. All of these experiences have helped me be a better w...
Post a Comment
Read more

#HistFicThursdays - The Fishwife's Lullaby - Free Poem

 During November, the Scottish reading and writing community come together for Book Week Scotland . This week-long, themed event is designed to break barriers and promote a love of books and reading for all. This year's theme is Hope , and I encourage all of you - whether you are in Scotland or not - to keep up with and enjoy the events which are happening (quite a few are online). This year, Book Week Scotland is 18th-24th November. So, in the spirit of community and hope, here is a little poem I wrote about a mother rocking her child to sleep. It embodies the fears and hopes of the historical communities of Orkney, where I grew up, and Caithness, where I live now. In a time before mobile phones or satellite weather forecasting, hope  was the only connection those on land had with their loved ones on the sea. The Fishwife’s Lullaby Hush… Father’s boat will soon be mooring. You shall see him in the morning When tide returns him home. Sleep… Time for thoughts and dreams of glor...
Post a Comment
Read more

To Wear a Heart So White - Inspiration behind "The Ignoble Defence"

 There is an unwritten rule in archaeology that, if there is an exciting find which you have no idea what it is, you speculate that it had a ritual purpose. As a non-archaeologist I don't know how true this is, but both my siblings who are archaeologist have told me this is the case. I think this is always at the back of my mind when I look through my research as a historian. So, when I was flicking through unsolved mysterious deaths and came across the circumstances surrounding the Bocksten Man, I had in my head the idea that the unsolved details were due to ritualistic behaviour. And, to be honest, he did meet a rather unusually brutal death. Allow me to introduce him... The Bocksten Man was unearthed in 1936, still with the oak stave which had been used to impale him into the bottom of the lake. He was fully clothed, supposedly wearing wool from head to toe which denoted a certain amount of wealth. Unlike most of the bog bodies from the area, the Bocksten Man had not been killed...
Post a Comment
Read more

NEW RELEASE - Introducing "To Wear a Heart So White"

 It is an absolute delight to announce the launch of To Wear a Heart So White: An Anthology of Historical Short Stories About Crime and Punishment . Seven stories, spanning almost eight hundred years, take readers on a journey into the crimes of yesteryear and the punishments they evoked. These stories come from the writers of the Historical Writers' Forum , and include a broad range of subgenres and styles, including a story for everyone. So let's meet the book... A cost for every action, and a price for every deed. The Historical Writers’ Forum proudly presents seven stories of Crime and Punishment, from across the ages. From an anchoress to a war hero; from Italy to Missouri; this anthology has a story for everyone. Included stories are: The Ignoble Defence - Virginia Crow Agatha’s Eyes - Rachel Aanstad A Pact Fulfilled - Eleanor Swift-Hook Carte de Viste - Ronan Beckman A Dish Served Cold - Brenda W. Clough Shadows of the Adriatic - Tessa Floreano A Dangerous Road - ...
Post a Comment
Read more