Tag: historical fiction

My new book, King of Kings, has a number of main characters. Meet Athelstan, the King of the English.

Athelstan is one of the main characters in my new book, King of Kings, a multiple point of view story, recounting affairs in Britain from 925-934.

Based on a historical person, my portrayal of him, is of course, fictitious, but there are many details known about him. However, we don’t know for sure who his mother was, it’s believed she might have been called Ecgwynn, and we don’t know, for certain, the name of his sister, but it’s believed she might have been named Edith. What is known is that his father was Edward, the son of King Alfred, and known to us today as Edward the Elder. Athelstan is also rare in that he is one of only two Saxon kings for who a contemporary image is available. (The other is Edgar, who would have been his step-nephew)

Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder – MS Royal 14 B VI.jpg
Miniature d’Édouard l’Ancien dans une généalogie royale du XIVe siècle. WikiCommons

It must be supposed that Athelstan was born sometime in the late 890s. And according to a later source, that written by William of Malmesbury in the 1100s (so over two hundred years later), Athelstan was raised at the court of his aunt, Æthelflæd of Mercia. David Dumville has questioned the truth of this, but to many, this has simply become accepted as fact.

‘he [Alfred] arranged for the boy’s education at the court of his daughter, Æthelflæd and Æthelred his son in law, where he was brought up with great care by his aunt and the eminent ealdorman for the throne that seemed to await him.’[i]

[i] Mynors, R.A.B. ed and trans, completed by Thomson, R.M. and Winterbottom, M. Gesta Regvm Anglorvm, The History of the English Kings, William of Malmesbury, (Clarendon Press, 1998), p.211 Book II.133

Æthelflæd image
Æthelflæd as depicted in the cartulary of Abingdon Abbey (British Library Cotton MS Claudius B VI, f.14).
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Æthelflæd_as_depicted_in_the_cartulary_of_Abingdon_Abbey.png
AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Why then might this have happened? Edward became king on the death of his father, Alfred, and either remarried at that time, or just before. Edward’s second wife (if indeed, he was actually married to Athelstan’s mother, which again, some doubt), Lady Ælfflæd is believed to have been the daughter of an ealdorman and produced a hefty number of children for Edward. Perhaps then, Athelstan and his unnamed sister, were an unwelcome reminder of the king’s first wife, or perhaps, as has been suggested, Alfred intended for Athelstan to succeed in Mercia after the death of Æthelflæd, and her husband, Æthelred, for that union produced one child, a daughter named Ælfwynn.

There is an acknowledged dearth of information surrounding King Edward the Elder’s rule of Wessex. He’s acknowledged as the king of the Anglo-Saxons. His father had been the king of Wessex. Historians normally use the surviving charters to unpick the political machinations of the Saxon kings, but for Edward, there’s a twenty year gap between the beginning and end of his reign, where almost no known genuine charters have survived. What isn’t known for sure, is how much control, if any, he had in Mercia. Was Mercia subservient to Wessex or was it ruled independently? It’s impossible to tell. And this makes it difficult to determine what Athelstan might have been doing, and also what his father’s intentions were towards him.

Frontispiece of Bede’s Life of St Cuthbert, showing King Æthelstan (924–39) presenting a copy of the book to the saint himself. 29.2 x 20cm (11 1/2 x 7 7/8″). Originally from MS 183, f.1v at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. (Wikimedia Commons)

What is known is that following the death of King Edward in 924, Athelstan was acknowledged as the king of Mercia; his stepbrother, Ælfweard was proclaimed king in Wessex. As with all events at this time, it shouldn’t be assumed that just because this is what happened, this is what was always intended.

‘Here King Edward died at Farndon in Mercia; and very soon, 16 days after, his son Ælfweard died at Oxford; and their bodies lie at Winchester. And Athelstan was chosen as king by the Mercians and consecrated at Kingston.’[i]

[i] Swanton, M. trans and edit The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, (Orion Publishing Group, 2000), D text p.105

But, if Athelstan was raised in Mercia, it’s highly likely he was a warrior from a young age, helping the Mercians defeat the Viking raiders who still had control of the Danish Five Boroughs of Lincoln, Nottingham, Derby, Nottingham and Leicester.

And the events of 924 are where King of Kings begins, and so I will leave him there. By now, he would have been perhaps thirty years old, give or take a few years. What sort of man was he? What sort of king might he be? Do please read King of Kings to find out. And, if this intrigues you, then do please have a look at Sarah Foot’s wonderful monograph on him, Athelstan, from Yale Publishing.

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Preorder King of Kings now

(released 20th February 2023)

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Today, it’s my turn on the #blogtour for Jane Dunn’s new historical romance, The Marriage Season. (There’s a lot of horses in this, so yes, I loved it:)

Here’s the blurb

‘It’s not a fair world I’m afraid. Beauty or fortune carries the day. You have the beauty and I the fortune, so there’s every chance we’ll succeed’

In Regency England, marriage is everything. For young widow Sybella Lovatt, the time has come to find a suitable husband for her sister and ward Lucie. Male suitors are scarce near their Wiltshire estate, so the sisters resolve to head to London in time for The Season to begin.

Once ensconced at the Mayfair home of Lady Godley, Lucie’s godmother, the whirl of balls, parties and promenades can begin. But the job of finding a husband is fraught with rules and tradition. Jostling for attention are the two lords – the charming and irresistible Freddie Lynwood and the preternaturally handsome Valentine Ravenell, their enigmatic neighbour from Shotten Hall, Mr Brabazon, and the dangerous libertine Lord Rockliffe, with whom the brooding Brabazon is locked in deadly rivalry.

Against the backdrop of glamorous Regency England, Sybella must settle Lucie’s future, protect her own reputation, and resist the disreputable rakes determined to seduce the beautiful widow. As the Season ends, will the sisters have found the rarest of things – a suitable marriage with a love story to match? 

Purchase Link

https://amzn.to/3DqXPOI

My Review

The Marriage Season by Jane Dunn is a delightful Regency romance that’s a little different to similar tales I’ve read, for the story is not just of a young woman trying to find a husband but of a widow deciding if she is perhaps prepared to love again, and her small son, James, or Jim as he likes to be called.

As much as Lucie and Sybella are fabulous creations, as are the men they encounter, it is little Jim and his love of ‘prancers’ that truly steals the show, and why not? That said, the story of Lucie and Sybella is delightful and well-told. Yes, it contains the twisting storylines we might expect, but the author has also littered the narrative with some delightful, period-specific words, which make the story really sparkle. And it’s not just young Jim and his roguish words that bring that charm.

I really adored The Marriage Season. Yes, it was fairly obvious what was going to happen, but that’s not truly the charm of the story but rather the detours the reader is taken on along the way, and of course, young Jim and his love of prancers is a true delight.

Meet the author

Jane Dunn is an historian and biographer and the author of seven acclaimed biographies, including Daphne du Maurier and her Sisters and the Sunday Times and NYT bestseller, Elizabeth & Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens. She comes to Boldwood with her first fiction outing – a trilogy of novels set in the Regency period, the first of which is to be published in January 2023. She lives in Berkshire with her husband, the linguist Nicholas Ostler.

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Today, I’m delighted to welcome Isabella Muir and her new novel, A Notable Omission, to the blog with a fab post about historical research #blogtour

A Notable Omission is the seventh novel from Isabella Muir – all of them set during the 1960s and 1970s.  Here Isabella Muir provides some insight into one particular resource that helped her set the story in this particular historical period…

Having fun with historical research

Online research is fun, of course, but right now I’m saying thank goodness for libraries!  With all my novels being set during those iconic decades of the 1960s and 1970s I’ve built up a broad range of resources to support my research into all things ‘sixties’. And along the way, in my local library, I tracked down a fascinating book.  The Neophiliacs was written by Christopher Booker and published in 1969.  It turns out that it is now out of print and Amazon are asking over £100 for a copy!  So, you can imagine my delight when my wonderful library managed to retrieve a copy from their ‘rare and out-of-print’ books.

Wanting to find out more about Christopher Booker, I did what many do nowadays in these times of instant ‘information’ – I Googled him.  I discovered that back in 1961 he became the founder and one of the early editors of the satirical magazine Private Eye.  He was the first jazz critic for the Sunday and Daily Telegraph and continued as a weekly columnist for the Telegraph right up to 2019, when he finally retired at the age of 81.  As well as The Neophiliacs Booker has written a number of books studying British society, as well as commenting on wider issues, such as the European Union.  Some of his views regarding climate change, health issues, such as the dangers of asbestos and cigarettes, have been controversial; he would appear to be someone who is not afraid to say what he thinks, even if it means going against the grain.

However, as much as Mr Booker and I do not see eye-to-eye over such issues as climate change, his insight into the long-term implications of social change during the 1950s and 1960s have really struck a chord with me.

This paragraph in particular made me sit up and think:

‘…the twentieth century has also provided two other factors to aggravate and to feed the general neurosis; the first being the image-conveying apparatus of films, radio, television, advertising, mass-circulation newspapers and magazines; the second the feverishly increased pace of life, from communications and transport to the bewildering speed of change and innovation, all of which has created a profound subconscious restlessness which neurotically demands to be assuaged by more speed and more change of every kind.’

From: THE NEOPHILIACS: A STUDY OF THE REVOLUTION IN ENGLISH LIFE IN THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES BY CHRISTOPHER BOOKER

Of course, now in 2023 the desire for speed is all around us – from the need for ever faster broadband, to high-speed rail links and non-stop Transatlantic flights.  Some will point out that the changes started when the Industrial Revolution resulted in horse-drawn carriages and ploughs being replaced with the engine and the first railways.  Social change is ongoing, but it does appear that some eras are more significant than others.

What is fascinating is to realise that at least sixty or seventy years ago Booker was able to identify ‘restlessness’ as it was happening, knowing that people would need more of the same, on and on until we reach the present day addiction to online and social media, where we constantly flick through images to gratify our seemingly ever reducing attention span.

Sadly, when my loan period expired, I had to return The Neophiliacs to the library, but not before making copious notes. Notes that helped no end as I drafted A Notable Omission, and insights that I hope have helped to set the scene for the novel, transporting readers back to an era when the pace of life was a tad gentler than it is today.

Here’s the blurb

A 1970s debate on equality is overshadowed by a deadly secret…

Spring 1970. Sussex University is hosting a debate about equality for women. But when one of the debating group goes missing, attention turns away from social injustice to something more sinister.

It seems every one of the group has something to hide, and when a second tragedy occurs, two of the delegates – amateur sleuth Janie Juke, and reporter Libby Frobisher – are prepared to make themselves unpopular to flush out the truth. Who is lying and why?

Alongside the police investigation, Janie and Libby are determined to prise answers from the tight-lipped group, as they find themselves in a race against time to stop another victim being targeted.

In A Notable Omission we meet Janie at the start of a new decade. When we left Janie at the end of The Invisible Case she was enjoying her new found skills and success as an amateur sleuth. Here we meet her a few months later, stealing a few days away from being a wife and mother, attending a local conference on women’s liberation to do some soul-searching…

Purchase Link

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Notable-Omission-Janie-Juke-mystery-ebook/dp/B0BQCLRYS6

US – https://www.amazon.com/Notable-Omission-Janie-Juke-mystery-ebook/dp/B0BQCLRYS6

Meet the author

Isabella is never happier than when she is immersing herself in the sights, sounds and experiences of family life in southern England in past decades – specifically those years from the Second World War through to the early 1970s. Researching all aspects of life back then has formed the perfect launch pad for her works of fiction. It was during two happy years working on and completing her MA in Professional Writing when Isabella rekindled her love of writing fiction and since then she has gone on to publish seven novels, six novellas and two short story collections.

This latest novel, A Notable Omission, is the fourth book in her successful Sussex Crime Mystery series, featuring young librarian and amateur sleuth, Janie Juke. The early books in the series are set in the late 1960s in the fictional seaside town of Tamarisk Bay, where we meet Janie, who looks after the mobile library. She is an avid lover of Agatha Christie stories – in particular Hercule Poirot. Janie uses all she has learned from the Queen of Crime to help solve crimes and mysteries. This latest novel in the series is set along the south coast in Brighton in early 1970, a time when young people were finding their voice and using it to rail against social injustice.

As well as four novels, there are six novellas in the series, set during the Second World War, exploring some of the back story to the Tamarisk Bay characters.

Isabella’s love of Italy shines through all her work and, as she is half-Italian, she has enjoyed bringing all her crime novels to an Italian audience with Italian translations, which are very well received.

Isabella has also written a second series of Sussex Crimes, set in the sixties, featuring retired Italian detective, Giuseppe Bianchi, who is escaping from tragedy in Rome, only to arrive in the quiet seaside town of Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, to come face-to-face with it once more.

Isabella’s standalone novel, The Forgotten Children, deals with the emotive subject of the child migrants who were sent to Australia – again focusing on family life in the 1960s, when the child migrant policy was still in force.

Find out more about Isabella and her books by visiting her website at: http://www.isabellamuir.com

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I’m excited to share the new cover for A Conspiracy of Kings

Here it is. The new cover for A Conspiracy of Kings, the sequel to The Lady of Mercia’s Daughter.

Here’s the blurb

Mercia, 918.

Lady Ælfwynn has taken her mother’s place as the Lady of Mercia, to the displeasure of her uncle in Wessex, and against his efforts to subvert it.

King Edward, casts his eye longingly over Mercia, and finds a willing accomplice where none should exist. This time, the threat to Lady Ælfwynn is not as easy to defeat.

This is the continuing story of Lady Ælfwynn, the granddaughter of King Alfred, begun in The Lady of Mercia’s Daughter.

It is intended that The Lady of Mercia’s Daughter should be read before A Conspiracy of Kings.

It’s been fabulous to have the opportunity to revisit both of these books in the last few months, while working on my non-fiction book about the royal women of The House of Wessex in the long tenth century.

Visit The Tenth Century Royal Women Page for more information.

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Today, I’m reviewing Caledon by Virginia Crow on the blog #historicalfantasy #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Here’s the blurb

“Go out and tell all those you meet, Caledon has risen. Caledon will be protected and defended. And to you who would cause her harm, be prepared. A new fight has come.”

After the destruction of the Jacobite forces at Culloden, Scotland is divided, vulnerable and leaderless, with survivors from both sides seeking to make sense of the battles they have fought against their fellow Scots.

James Og flees Drumossie, seeking the protection of his uncle’s house in Sutherland. It is here that James learns that the Northern Highlands hold a secret power only he can wield: Caledon. When Ensign John Mackay begins hunting Og’s family, James realises he must harness this power to defeat the enemies of Scotland.

But, as the ageless Caledon awakes, so too does an ancient evil. When it allies with Mackay, the small Clan of Caledon faces enemies at every turn, discovering that even those closest to them may seek to destroy them.

Buy Links

Universal Link:

Amazon UK:  Amazon US:  Amazon AU:  Amazon CA: 

My Review

Caledon is an intriguing work of historical fantasy set in Scotland following the battle of Culloden.

The narrative revolves around six main characters, switching between points of view, and is centred around family loyalty, distrust and the war raging between the Hanoverians and the Stuarts. There are also a few star-crossed lovers, and sadly, not everyone will get the happy ending they deserve, even with the aid of the mysterious Caledon.

With its supernatural elements it offers something a little different as the Clan of Caledon learn to trust their abilities while all those around them seek their destruction.

An enjoyable read and one sure to appeal to those with a love of a Scottish setting.

Meet the author

Virginia grew up in Orkney, using the breath-taking scenery to fuel her imagination and the writing fire within her. Her favourite genres to write are fantasy and historical fiction, sometimes mixing the two together. She enjoys swashbuckling stories such as The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas and is still waiting for a screen adaption that lives up to the book!

When she’s not writing, Virginia is usually to be found teaching music. She believes wholeheartedly in the power of music, especially as a tool of inspiration. She also helps out with the John o’ Groats Book Festival which is celebrating its 4th year.

She now lives in the far-flung corner of Scotland. A doting spaniel-owner to Orlando and Jess, Virginia soaks up in inspiration from the landscape as she ventures out with her canine companions.

She loves cheese, music, and films, but hates mushrooms.

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Follow the Caledon blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

I’m delighted to share my review for Death at Crookham Hall by Michelle Salter #historicalmystery #cosycrime #highlyrecommended

Here’s the blurb

A fatal jump. A missing suffragette. An inexplicable murder.

London, 1920. When she catches news of a big story, reporter Iris Woodmore rushes to the House of Commons. But it’s a place that holds painful memories. In 1914, her mother died there when she fell into the River Thames during a daring suffragette protest. But in the shadow of Big Ben, a waterman tells Iris her mother didn’t fall – she jumped.

Iris discovers that the suffragette with her mother that fateful day has been missing for years, disappearing just after the protest. Desperate to know the truth behind the fatal jump, Iris’s investigation leads her to Crookham Hall, an ancestral home where secrets and lies lead to murder…

Purchase Link

 https://amzn.to/3DuWBSw

My Review

Death at Crookham Hall is an incredibly well-written historical mystery set in 1920, both in London and Walden.

Our intrepid young report, Iris, finding work as a reporter for the local newspaper, begins to discover much she doesn’t know about her mother’s untimely death following a visit to the House of Parliament.

Iris is a great character, modern but not too modern – wearing trousers is fine, but wearing a dress short enough to show her thighs is too shocking – and she finds herself desperate to gather together the unknown strands of her mother’s death.

This is a really well-written story, interspersed with fascinating tit-bits of information both about the suffragettes and their sister organisation, the suffrage societies, and where the focus is very much on the women of their time, from the lady to the laundry-maid. It’s a very compelling tale, on occasion, fast-paced. Everything Iris does brings her some new information, and her role as a reporter means she gets to interview all of the main suspects without the narration feeling forced.

The resolution of the mystery feels particularly well constructed, and I just thoroughly enjoyed the story. A fabulous, well-written, mystery that holds all the promise of much more to come for young Iris and her fellow reporter, as well as the local policeman, Ben, and her friend, Alice, in Walden.

Meet the author

Michelle Salter is a historical crime fiction writer based in northeast Hampshire. Many local locations appear in her mystery novels. She’s also a copywriter and has written features for national magazines. When she’s not writing, Michelle can be found knee-deep in mud at her local nature reserve. She enjoys working with a team of volunteers undertaking conservation activities.

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Happy publication day to The Alewives by Elizabeth R Andersen #mystery #historicalmystery #newrelease Highly Recommended

Here’s the blurb

Colmar, 1353 CE

Gritta, Appel, and Efi managed to survive the Black Death, only to find that they are in desperate need of money. With limited options and lots of obstacles, they band together to become alewives – brewing and selling ale in the free Alsatian town of Colmar. But when an elderly neighbor is discovered dead in her house, the alewives cannot convince the sheriff and the town council that her death wasn’t an accident, it was murder. As the body count piles up, the ale flows and mystery is afoot!

Set in the tumultuous years after the most devastating pandemic the world has ever experienced, The Alewives is a playful romp through a dark time, when society was reeling from loss and a grieving population attempted to return to normal, proving that with the bonds of love, friendship, and humor, the human spirit will always continue to shine.

Purchase Link

My Review

The Alewives is a fantastically well-written murder mystery set in the immediate aftermath of the Black Death, with delightful characters and a sinister murderer and thief, at the heart of all the problems. Set in the tannery area of Colmar, something smells bad.

The three main characters of Gritta, Appel, and Efi are all glorious creations – Grita with her useless husband and horde of children (she had 12, you see), Appel with her mysterious nighttime activities, and young Efi, who has the sense of a young kid goat at the beginning of the tale.

This story is immersive and filled with just enough tension and humour to make even a story about those who survived the Black Death an absolute delight to read. The humour is well constructed, the antics of the three women, acting a little outside the ‘law’ in a deeply patriarchal society that doesn’t allow women to brew their own ale for profit, artfully created, and even the Friar, Wikerus, is a sympathetic character, in the end. The three women are put upon. Society is against them, as is the sheriff (all the male characters are dismissive of the women, but they get on with it, doing all they can to circumnavigate the obstacles placed in their path), and the church, and just about everyone else, but they triumph.

The mystery itself is really well constructed, as are the red herrings. I didn’t know who the culprit(s) (no spoilers here) were until the big reveal.

A short, sharp, snappy, hugely entertaining, medieval mystery that portrays the realities of life at the time, with just the right amount of humour to make it thoroughly entertaining. A well-deserved 5/5 from me!

Meet the Author

Elizabeth R. Andersen’s debut novel, The Scribe, launched in July of 2021. Although she spent many years of her life as a journalist, independent fashion designer, and overworked tech employee, there have always been two consistent loves in her life: writing and history. She finally decided to do something about this and put them both together.

Elizabeth lives in the Seattle area with her long-suffering husband and young son. On the weekends she usually hikes in the stunning Cascade mountains to hide from people and dream up new plotlines and characters.

– Join Elizabeth’s monthly newsletter and receive the first two chapters of The Scribe for free. Sign up at https://www.elizabethrandersen.com

– Find photos of hikes and daily author life at Elizabeth’s Instagram: @elizabethrandersen 

– Follow Elizabeth on Twitter for nerdy medieval history facts: @E_R_A_writes 

– Watch Elizabeth try to explain the weird, wonderful world of Medieval life on her TikTok channel: https://www.tiktok.com/@elizabethrandersen

Elizabeth is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Find my previous blog posts here for The Scribe and here for The Two Daggers Series.

I’m sharing my review for Bellatrix by Simon Turney #blogtour #histfic #Roman #Bellatrix#LegionXXII

Here’s the blurb

Warrior and combat medic of the Twenty Second Legion, Titus Cervianus, must fight the armies of the fabled Warrior Queen in this blistering new Roman adventure from Simon Turney.

Egypt, 25 BC. Titus Cervianus is no ordinary soldier. And the Twenty Second is no ordinary legion. Formed from the personal guard of a conquered king, the Twenty Second’s ways are strange to soldiers of the Empire – yet the legion has proved itself in the blistering heat of the desert.

Cervianus and his comrades march into the unknown as he and the Twenty Second Legion contend with the armies of the Bellatrix: the Warrior Queen of Kush. The Kushites and the Egyptians are united against the Roman presence in their lands – but there are complex political and military forces at work. Deep in the deserts, Cervianus and his comrades must brace themselves for a furious onslaught as they take on the might of the Bellatrix.

Purchase link

My Review

Bellatrix is the sequel to The Capsarius, (find my review here) a book that I thought was fantastic. I’ve been desperately waiting for Bellatrix, and it doesn’t disappoint.

From the first page, we’re plunged once more into the heat and cold of Egypt’s desert, an intense journey that makes for difficult reading at times. Our Capsarius is sorely tested. He’s not happy to be there, but he has orders to follow, and follow them he must. Luckily, his tent-mate, Ulxsses, is at his side, and just about manages to refrain from causing trouble for quite some time. Not that he manages to continue to do so for long.

This truly is a story about surviving against the odds. If you think the desert trek is bad, then things are only going to get much, much worse for our soldiers.

What I enjoy most about these stories of The Capsarius is the complete change of scene. I don’t read huge amounts of Roman-era fiction, although it’s a period that’s certainly growing on me, but even I know many of these stories take place in Europe or the UK. Egypt is completely new, and the clash of cultures between Rome and the Kush, is one of the highlights of the books.

Bellatrix is a worthy sequel to The Capsarius. You can taste the sand in your mouth and the pounding heat on your head as the story surges towards its stunning conclusion. Highly recommended.

Meet the Author


Simon Turney is from Yorkshire and, having spent much of his childhood visiting historic sites, fell in love with the Roman heritage of the region. His fascination with the ancient world snowballed from there with great interest in Rome, Egypt, Greece and Byzantium. His works include the Marius’ Mules and Praetorian series, the Tales of the Empire and The Damned Emperor series, and the Rise of Emperors books with Gordon Doherty. He lives in North Yorkshire with his family.

Follow Simon Turney

Website: https://simonturney.com/

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Website: http://www.headofzeus.com

Check out my other reviews for Simon Turney/SJA Turney’s books

Commodus

Sons of Rome

The Bear of Byzantium

Loki Unbound

Today, I’m delighted to share a blog post by Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard about her new book, Sisters of Castle Leod #HistoricalFiction #SistersOfCastleLeod #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to share a fascinating blog post by Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard about her new novel, Sisters of Castle Leod.

THE PLOT THICKENS 

Thanks so much for inviting me to talk about the research for my latest historical novel, Sisters of Castle Leod (release date: January 19, 2023).

I always do quite a bit of reading before deciding for certain what I want to write about, though I generally have a theme in mind. In this instance, I was very interested in exploring the subject of spiritualism—communication with the dead—especially as it was practiced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I soon ran across the name Sibell Lilian Mackenzie, 3rd Countess of Cromartie. Shortly after the turn of the 20th century, Sibell was becoming known as a spiritualist and a writer of mystical romance novels. Her younger sister, Constance, was an unusual young woman who became equally famous as a champion swimmer and for scandalizing British society with her public displays of Isadora Duncan-style barefoot dancing. The sisters were opposites in every way, which suggested to me the possibility of a story full of conflict and drama. In the historical record, I discovered plenty of both. 

There was a great deal of information available about the Mackenzie sisters, mostly through archived newspaper articles. At the time, they were among Great Britain’s most talked-about women. The press was fascinated with them. Because I enjoyed these old articles so much, I incorporated portions of a few into the book. They serve to give readers a wonderfully authentic taste of the social mores of the time. For example, here is part of an 1897 newspaper account describing Sibell’s “coming out,” over which Queen Victoria herself presided:

Nowadays you observe that the run of debutantes presented consists of every upstart whose family has rigged up for itself a compound surname. For every two-penny-half-penny nobody who has made a little money in trade to fancy he confers a sort of patent of nobility upon himself and his offspring by inserting a hyphen between his surname and his middle name is simply grotesque. But instead of these nobodies with whom recent drawing-rooms have reeked, there were no end of real swells at this one. The most interesting of all the presentations was that of the youthful Sibell Mackenzie Leveson-Gower, Countess of Cromartie.

I should mention that Sibell was a good deal more modest and down-to-earth than the writer of that article! Throughout my research, almost everything I read about the countess, who was a peeress in her own right and one of the wealthiest landowners in Scotland, portrayed her as a thoughtful, introspective young woman—a dreamer and philosopher. She wrote many short stories, most with a mystical bent, that were published in the popular women’s magazine The Lady’s Realm. By reading these stories, and several of her full-length romantic novels, I came to feel quite comfortable assuming her voice as my novel’s narrator. I also read Constance’s single book, Dancing, Beauty and Games, published in 1913, which gave me important insight into her very original ideologies as well as her motivations for some of the outrageous things she did. Authors of biographical historical fiction who have access to the actual writings of their characters enjoy a tremendous resource. I studied these books and stories with a careful eye to what they could tell me about the Mackenzie sisters—their public image, personal beliefs, and their innermost desires. 

The folklore of the Highlands was one of the things that attracted me to the sisters’ story. Here is an authentic newspaper snippet that led my plot in a surprising and rather spooky direction (for this preview, I’ve redacted any “spoilers”):

Lady Constance Mackenzie is sister and heir presumptive to the Countess of Cromartie, who also holds the titles Viscountess Tarbat, Baroness Castlehaven, and Baroness MacLeod. Lady Constance’s succession to all these titles, as well as the large family estates, depends upon the fulfillment of an old family legend whose truth in part has been demonstrated already, in a manner to arouse the awe of the superstitious, by a family tragedy that occurred last December. … [the legend states that] when a certain stream on the estates should be turned from its course, the succession would pass from the direct line. Only a few weeks before the [tragedy occurred], in making alterations on the estates, the course of the stream had been changed.

In the three years it took to research and write Sisters of Castle Leod, I did not confine myself to “armchair research.” Early in the process, my trip to the Scottish Highlands afforded me the opportunity to meet with Sibell’s grandson, 5thEarl of Cromartie and current chief of the Mackenzie clan. He graciously provided me with a private tour of Castle Leod and told me many interesting stories. Among them was that of the castle’s ghost, known as the Night Watchman—a 15th century sentry who, on occasion, emerges from behind the grandfather clock in the castle’s Great Hall. Though I would not call my novel a “ghost story,” the Night Watchman does have a role in the drama. 

On that same trip, I made a stop in London and visited the Spiritualist Association of Great Britain where, I had been told, Sibell once served as president. (I could find no proof of this in the Society’s records. However, at that time, there were many such societies, and she may have been involved in a different group with a similar name.) On two occasions, I met with psychics who attempted to contact Sibell on my behalf. Though results were inconclusive, it was nonetheless an interesting foray into the modern-day world of spiritualism.

As you can tell, my novel not only is about the difficult relationship between two very different sisters but also delves deeply into spiritual issues. Have you ever visited a psychic or attended a séance? How did you feel about the experience? 

Thank you for sharing your research with my readers. It really sounds as though you went above and beyond to ‘find’ your characters voices. Good luck with the new release.

Here’s the blurb

**Finalist in the 2022 American Writing Awards**

Millions are fans of Diana Gabaldon’s popular Outlander books and television series, but few know that Gabaldon’s fictional Castle Leoch was inspired by a real Scottish castle, Castle Leod. The two sisters who lived there at the turn of the twentieth century were among the most fascinating and talked-about women of their era. 

Lady Sibell Mackenzie is a spiritualist, a believer in reincarnation, and a popular author of mystical romances. Petite and proper, she values tradition and duty. Her younger sister Lady Constance, swimming champion and big game hunter, is a statuesque beauty who scandalizes British society with her public displays of Greek-style barefoot dancing. The differences between the sisters escalate into conflict after Sibell inherits their late father’s vast estates and the title 3rd Countess of Cromartie. But it is the birth of Sibell’s daughter that sets in motion a series of bizarre and tragic events, pitting sister against sister and propelling Sibell on a desperate mission to challenge the power of fate. 

Sisters of Castle Leod, by award-winning author Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard, is the emotionally charged story of two sisters torn apart by jealousy and superstition, and the impossible leap of faith that could finally bring them together.

Cover Art:  oil on glass painting, © Alison Hale, https://alisonhale.co.nz/ 

Buy Links

This title will be available on #KindleUnlimited.

Universal Link: 

Amazon UK:  Amazon US:  Amazon CA:  Amazon AU: 

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Meet the Author

A former touring musician/songwriter and public relations professional, Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard is the author of two Amazon bestsellers: THE BEAUTY DOCTOR, “a compelling historical novel steeped in mystery with strong elements of a medical thriller” (Readers’ Favorite, 5 stars), and TEMPTATION RAG: A NOVEL, a “resonant novel … about the birth and demise of ragtime … luxuriously crafted” (Publishers Weekly). Her books have been finalists for the Eric Hoffer Book Award, National Indie Excellence Awards, and Arizona Literary Contest; they have received 5-star ratings from Readers” Favorite, Book Readers Appreciation Group, and historical fiction Discovered Diamonds. Elizabeth and her family live near Phoenix, Arizona.

Connect with Elizabeth

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Follow the Sisters of Castle Leod tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

2022 – A Writing Year in Review

2022 has been a busy writing year. Routine has been important, as has setting firm deadlines and also having some well-deserved time off. I’ve also distracted myself from my constant need to write by taking a few weeks away from the keyboard to work my very part-time job. People think I’m nuts, but the only way to dampen down my mind is to fill it with something else! It helps that I can trust myself to get things done and knuckle down when I need to. I’m adopting the same approach to 2023. I’ve already got the first six months mapped out writing-wise.

So, what have I been writing/editing in 2022?

In January, I re-edited Pagan Warrior and finished writing Wolf of Mercia.

In February, I edited Cragside and started work simultaneously on Warrior of Mercia and The Last Seven while also editing Pagan King. I worked myself hard because I knew what was coming later in the year.

I continued to work on Warrior of Mercia and The Last Seven throughout March, and finished my first draft of Warrior of Mercia in April. This allowed me to start work on my first non-fiction book, due out sometime in 2024 with Pen and Sword books.

During May and June, I had a bit of a hiatus as I was on a wonderful holiday in Orkney and also working my part-time job. But I did complete an edit on Warrior of Mercia during the late May half-term, so I did a bit of writing:)

When I finally got back to my writing in July, I was back to working on The Last Seven, having completed my copyedits for Warrior of Mercia.

Throughout August, I worked on what is now King of Kings, and also devoted the month to my non-fiction project.

During September, I wrote a lot more for King of Kings, having decided to play around with the original book, and began work on Icel 4, which I finished the first draft of in October. I also worked on a short story that precedes the events in King of Kings.

And then, I spent November working on the next book in the Earls of Mercia series, The King’s Brother, while during December, I returned to my non-fiction project, did some editing on Icel 4, now entitled Eagle of Mercia, and worked on my non-fiction book. I also completed an edit on The Lady of Mercia’s Daughter to go with the fabulous new cover.

For all my careful planning, December was a very full-on month, and I worked right up until 6pm on 23rd December because I needed to get some editing done. Next year, I need to be a bit more wary of just how short December can feel.

In terms of words written this year, I don’t keep a strict record, but I would place it at about 500,000. I don’t think it’s my biggest tally to date, but it’s still been very busy. For anyone curious about my writing routine, I’ll be presenting on it for The History Quill masterclass in April 2023. You can find the details on the link. I think a good daily routine is so important for writers, and so I’m going to be talking about how I do what I do:)

I also took the time to attend several conventions, virtually (The History Quill Convention, The HNSNA one-day convention, and the IMC in Leeds – which feeds my non-fiction needs) as well as in-person (The HNS Conference in Durham, and one on the Bamburgh Bones). I tried my hand at Saxon-era embroidery and of course, spent more time making mugs at the local pottery. I might have shared photos of my slightly wonky attempts.

I can’t see that I did a post on my writing throughout 2021, but I have found my 2020 post about my writing during Lockdown.

If you want to see what I was reading during 2022, then check it out here.