Jean Plaidy, Victoria Holt, Philippa Carr, Ellalice Tate, Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow, Eleanor Burford, Anna Percival These are all pen names of Eleanor Hibbert, who died this day in 1993. She left behind more than 200 books that are widely read still today. My ongoing project – Royal Intrigue – hosts a number of articles and reviews. One of my… Read more »
Do you find the people who lived in Biblical times have a lot in common with us today? How are our lives similar? That’s one of those questions to which I think the answer is both “yes” and “no”. People seem to come in the same set of types no matter when they live. (No matter what group — political,… Read more »
Author Sally Christie has answered a few questions on her last novel, The Enemies of Versailles. You can read my reviews of all three books in the trilogy at the following links: The Sisters of Versailles The Rivals of Versailles The Enemies of Versailles When you began writing this series, did you realize you’d be writing about so many women… Read more »
1. There are more than 50 books and 20 articles cited as sources for Notorious Royal Marriages. The research involved is mind boggling, though you have written and published two non-fiction books. What is your typical schedule when researching and writing? Do you research as you go? First Arleigh, I’d like to say thanks so much for this interview. I’m… Read more »
Author Interview: ROBERT STEPHEN PARRY The Hours Before begins with an interesting character perspective. Can you explain why you chose this path for the introduction? Perhaps one of the easiest mistakes we can make in life (and the more successful, wealthy or comfortable one becomes the easier it is to make it) is to assume that humility and modesty are… Read more »
“A young Italian woman risks her life to defy the injustice surrounding her in Margaret Wurtele’s The Golden Hour, a touching novel of forbidden love in war-torn Italy… It is autumn 1943 when German forces invade the peaceful vineyards and olive groves of Giovanna Bellini’s village in Tuscany. At first, the seventeen-year-old finds herself fascinated by the dashing Nazi officers…. Read more »
1. Many reviewers have called The Arrow Chest hauntingly beautiful–which is true–but the supernatural elements are so subtle that only those well-versed in Tudor history see the glaring similarities between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, and Oliver Ramsey and Daphne. Firstly, I applaud you for not making it sickening obvious; my question is: did you begin writing with the idea… Read more »
Work of Art: Love and Murder in 19th Century New York by Ginger Myrick Work of Art is set in the late 19th century in Five Points, New York City. How did you choose the era and setting for this novel? I suppose I was drawn to this era because some of my favorite classic books are set during the… Read more »
Author Ginger Myrick has answered some questions regarding her latest novel, The Welsh Healer. If you read my review, you will know the background of this book and why it is special to me. I may be biased, but this is truly great historical fiction set in an era that’s used considerably less than the popular Tudor era, though it… Read more »
First of all, I must ask…is it your dog(s), or at least the breed, we read of in the story? Do they have a special history with the island of Terceira or other settings from the book? Actually, my dog is a Labradoodle (half Labrador Retriever and half Poodle) basically a glorified mutt, but I love him! When I decided… Read more »
Inspired by her latest novel, DAYS OF SPLENDOR, DAYS OF SORROW, I posed these questions to the author, Juliet Grey, on writing and the French Revolution. If you haven’t picked up this novel yet, I highly recommend it (along with the first novel in the series, BECOMING MARIE ANTOINETTE). Did you find the writing easier, harder or much the same… Read more »
In venturing outside my usual genre I have discovered several great reads lately, including this one—Confessions of the Creature by Gary Inbinder, which is a continuation of Mary Shelley’s classic,Frankenstein. The creature has exacted revenge on his creator, retreated into the wilds of Russia and later finds himself transforming from monster to man. He rejoins society and moves up the… Read more »