Research & Writing Historical Fiction

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Today Judith Arnopp talks about her research, writing and her collaboration on Sexuality and its Impact on British History with me today. Judith’s life-long passion for history eventually led her to the University of Wales where she gained a B.A. in English and Creative Writing, and a Masters in Medieval History. Her first novel, Peaceweaver was published in 2009, quickly followed by two others. Her best-selling Tudor novel, The Winchester Goose lead her to create five more novels covering the lives of Anne Boleyn, Katheryn Parr and Elizabeth of York. The King’s Mother is the third book in The Beaufort Chronicles a trilogy following the fascinating life of Margaret Beaufort. She is researching her eleventh novel. Judith’s non-fiction work has been published in various historical anthologies and she is active online at her website and at Facebook  and Twitter @juditharnopp

During the course of research for my novel The…

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Cover Crush: The Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin

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I am not a cover designer but I can agree that cover layouts play an important role in the overall presentation of stories and I must admit, often times I first judge a book by its cover.

A debut novel set against a background of hospital rounds and life-or-death decisions that pulses with humor and empathy and explores the heart’s capacity for forgiveness…

Zadie Anson and Emma Colley have been best friends since their early twenties, when they first began navigating serious romantic relationships amid the intensity of medical school. Now they’re happily married wives and mothers with successful careers–Zadie as a pediatric cardiologist and Emma as a trauma surgeon. Their lives in Charlotte, North Carolina are chaotic but fulfilling, until the return of a former colleague unearths a secret one of them has been harboring for years.

As chief resident, Nick Xenokostas was the center of Zadie’s life–both professionally…

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The Wight Thing

https://lapitmarketing.com/2018/03/14/the-wight-thing/ Chech it out, better still, pre-order now

Discovering John Law’s Homestead by Alfred Woollacott

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Alfred Woollacott has written a story about his ancestor John Law in The Immigrant and I am across a blog post on his website about Alfred’s drive down Lawsbrook Rd and thought how extraordinary it would be to travel down the same road your ancestors lived. Can you image all the feelings building inside you and the anticipation of what you might discover further? Below is the first paragraph in Alfred’s post and I want to encourage you to follow the link I provide to read the rest of his fascinating post. -Stephanie M. Hopkins

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A Jaguar sedan sped along Route 2 with a map of old Acton laying on the passenger seat for reference. The driver was researching the past of John Law, his distant ancestor, trying to pinpoint where he settled some 350 years earlier. This direct descendant had spent his youth twenty miles west of Acton…

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Interview with Elisabeth Marrion

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Interview Questions for Elisabeth Marrion -The Wight Thing

I’d lie to welcome award-winning author Elisabeth Marrion to Layered Pages today to talk with me about her upcoming new story, The Wight Thing.

Hello. Elisabeth! Thank you for chatting with me today at Layered pages about your book, The Wight Thing. First, tell me about your story and how is it different from your other books?

Hello Stephanie, it is me who has to thank you.

This latest novel is what we call a –‘chick lit, you know, the type of book a reader likes to take away on holiday. My previous books are historical novels. The Night I Danced with Rommel,Liverpool Connection and Cuckoo Clock-New York.  Family life (my own family mainly) before and during WWII). In The Wight Thing, six retired friends find it hard to imagine living without each other’s company, since they have been friends…

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Revelation of a Time Capsule and More

Giselle Roeder

Stresow Church

Once upon a time, there was a small village in the eastern part of Germany called “Stresow.” A church with a cemetery surrounding it and a pub was built in the center. Those two places were also the centre of any social life of the hard-working farmers. Since women were not allowed in the pub, they would meet after church in the cemetery during their task of taking care of the graves to visit with each other and chat. To this day, the graves are planted with flowers in German cemeteries and each family tries to have the best-looking one.

Many years went by. After WWII in 1945, the states of East Prussia, Silesia, and Pomerania, about one-third of Germany were ceded to Poland. The German inhabitants had ten minutes to get out of their homes where they had lived for generations. My own family was amongst the…

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Part I: THE DAY oF STORMS by Stuart S. Laing

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Photo by Maxine Stewart

I’ve challenged Author Stuart S. Laing to write a story inspired by this photo shared on Facebook a few weeks ago and he accepted my challenge and wrote a short story called The Day of Storms that takes place in The Kingdom of Fife, Scotland, February 5th 1794. In this story, you will meet Sarah, Rebecca Hopkins and a band of ruthless smugglers.

The Kingdom of Fife, Scotland.

February 5^th 1794.

 Sarah Hopkins rolled her eyes in annoyance as she watched the dwindling figure of her coachman being swallowed up by the driving wind lashing across the frozen quayside. With a barely suppressed sigh her hazel eyes turned towards the broken wheel which had brought her journey to a sudden halt here in the small fishing village of Anstruther on the East Neuk of Fife. Losing a wheel had been bad enough, but the coach…

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Tour Recap: Two Journeys Home: A Novel of Eighteenth Century Europe (The Derrynane Saga Book 2) by Kevin O’Connell

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Starting February 19th Novel Expressions Blog Tour and their team of book bloggers, hosted, Two Journeys Home: A Novel of Eighteenth Century Europe (The Derrynane Saga Book 2) by Kevin O’Connell. The tour went really well and it was a great pleasure working with Kevin in the tour. Below I’m sharing with you the tour schedule and about the book that the bloggers featured. Be sure to click on the different bloggers blogs and see how they have featured Kevin’s story. Enjoy! -Stephanie M. Hopkins

About the Book:

It’s 1767. As the eagerly anticipated sequel to Beyond Derrynane begins, Eileen O’Connell avails herself of a fortuitous opportunity to travel back to Ireland. In Two Journeys Home, the O’Connells encounter old faces and new—and their lives change forever.

Her vivacious personality matched only by her arresting physical presence, Eileen returns to Derrynane this time not as a teen aged widow…

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Four-Legged Stool

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Alfred began dabbling into in family history and dabbling grew into an obsession, and he published several genealogical summaries of his ancestors. Find out more about Alfred’s work at the Four-Legged Stool website.

About Alfred Woollacott III:

Alfred Woollacott, III retired from KPMG after a career spanning 34 years, choosing to reside full time at his summer residence on Martha’s Vineyard. Being “45 minutes from America” and with a 50 – 60 hour per week void to fill, he began dabbling into his family history. His dabbling grew into an obsession, and he published several genealogical summaries of his ancestors. But certain ones absorbed him such that he could not leave them. So he researched their lives and times further while evolving his writing skills from “just the facts ma’am” to a fascinating narrative style. Thus with imagination, anchored in fact and tempered with plausibility, a remote ancestor can…

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Interview with Mike Torreano

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I’d like to welcome Mike Torreano to Layered Pages to talk about is upcoming book, The Renewal, a story that takes place in western America. 

Hello, Mike! Thank you for chatting with me and congrats on your latest book, The Renewal. Please tell me a little about your story.

The Renewal is the sequel to The Reckoning, and is set in South Park, Colorado, in 1872.

Ike McAlister has finally put the ghosts of his past to rest. He’s found new joy with a spirited wife, a young daughter, and a mountain valley ranch where a man can make something of himself. But a coming railroad through the South Park valley threatens to take his land and tear his hard-won peace apart.

Describe the setting for your story.

South Park is a high mountain basin with rolling grasslands and flowing rivers, and is surrounded by 14,000-foot snowcapped peaks. Wide-open…

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