When I decided where to set Discovering Destiny, as with all the books in the Naturae Series, I wanted to place the story at a moment when European, and especially British, history was undergoing momentous change. The sixteenth century provides no shortage of dramatic possibilities: Tudor England; the Reformation and religious conflict; rival queens. AddContinue reading ““Repugnant to Nature”: Three Tudor Queens and their battle to remain in power”
Tag Archives: history
Scottish Gaelic Influence in Historical Fantasy – What is a Banrigh?
The Scottish Gaelic Origins Behind the Queen of the Witches “The only cure for Vinexplicity was the blood of a Banrigh—the Queen of the Witches.”– Discovering Destiny Fantasy readers often ask whether titles like Banrigh are simply invented because they sound magical. In the case of the Naturae Series, and specifically the latest release ‘DiscoveringContinue reading “Scottish Gaelic Influence in Historical Fantasy – What is a Banrigh?”
Lammas in Elizabethan England: Harvest, Magic, and Memory
Every August, as summer began to tip toward autumn, Elizabethans marked a feast that was older than Christianity itself: Lammas, or in Old English “hlāf-mæsse” meaning “Loaf-Mass.” By the 1560s, England was a Protestant nation under Elizabeth I, yet villagers still carried echoes of pagan and Celtic ritual into their daily lives. Lammas was oneContinue reading “Lammas in Elizabethan England: Harvest, Magic, and Memory”
Co-authoring for stories to share, and Kickstarting
Experiences of co-authoring and Kickstarting a historical fiction duology
Chester, England: Strategic Stronghold and Market Crossroads
Discover Chester, it’s rich history and the books which this ancient city features in
Beyond the Seams: The Unseen Strength of Women in the French Resistance
In the shadow of World War II, as Nazi occupation gripped Paris, acts of defiance emerged not just from the expected places of male bravery, but often from the most unexpected corners of society: its women. While writing the Rebels and Resistance duology, I have been constantly struck by how overlooked the role women playedContinue reading “Beyond the Seams: The Unseen Strength of Women in the French Resistance”
Boy, Resisting
Chapter 1 – The Voice My name is Frederick and I have a secret. Want to know what it is? Of course you do IF YOU’RE SNOOPING AND READING THIS! My Mama gave me this book for my birthday. “So you can keep a record,” she said. “It’s important to remember who you are, andContinue reading “Boy, Resisting”
The truth, the myth and storytelling
Fictionalising historical events has been around since the dawn of storytelling. Myths and legends tell of heroic deeds, transgressions of individuals and in some instances, weave tales of disasters that wipe out entire races.
The world according to Henry Fitzroy
I didn’t realise how liberating it would be to give up my soul, and so I would say my greatest strength is that I have no compunction about doing what is necessary to achieve my given purpose.
The uncomfortable similarities between Henry V and Putin
I didn’t set out to write a story about war with Destiny Awaiting, it just happened. It was supposed to be a simple enemies-to-lovers romance, set in a time of danger and adversity where strangers could observe the history and fulfil their destiny. It is, on one level. I wanted to highlight how conflict drivesContinue reading “The uncomfortable similarities between Henry V and Putin”
Escape Into A Tale with Jan Foster - Author 