English Historical Fiction Authors: Privys, Garderobes and Latrines – a quick tour of ...

English Historical Fiction Authors: Privys, Garderobes and Latrines – a quick tour of ...: By Lizzy Drake photo from BBC's 'Life in the Castle' It used to be one of those taboo human necessities that history book...

Book Review - Wulfsuna

E S Moxon brings the dark ages to life through her vivid descriptions of both people and place. As Rome has pulled out of Britain, there is a massive power vacuum and the remaining tribes are left to battle it out for power, life and land. Wulfsuna follows Lord Wulfgar and his attempts to establish a home for his tribe, a split family of Saxons who must fight Angles and Picts to establish their home. Moxon weaves an epic tale of Lord Wulfgar's struggles, loves and loss.

When I was sent a copy of the book to read and review, I first read a few pages to get a feel for the writing before dedicating myself to the full read and I knew immediately that it was going to be a thrilling book. The descriptions are highly vivid and take the reader into the heat of battle and whilst reading I kept thinking 'HBO drama, HBO drama' mainly because it was so vivid and I expect it would make an excellent TV series (as long as the director sticks to the historical detail that Moxon has detailed so accurately well). I'm personally not that into battle scenes and the book had many of them, but I did feel that they were integral to the story and illustrated exactly how much turmoil there was during the era without a clear leader or land borders. What I loved reading most was the bewitching seer who is cast out of her village and who fate weaves into Lord Wulfgar's arms. Her point-of-view and story held my interest and I would have loved to have the entire book seen from her eyes, she was such a enthralling character.

If you love epic battles, Dark Age Britain, Saxons and beer wagons (has to be said, I'll dream forever of a beer wagon), then this book is for you! It is the first in a series, giving fans something to look forward to when the next book is released. A beautiful historical fiction for an era often ignored by conventional histories.

ES Moxon's Author Page
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English Historical Fiction Authors: The Birth of Cipher in England

English Historical Fiction Authors: The Birth of Cipher in England: by Lizzy Drake Finally, forasmuch as the ciphers which sir Thomas Spynell (whose soule God pardon!) had, have come to the hands of sundry p...

Book Review - To Be a Queen

Book Review – To Be a Queen by Annie Whitehead

Annie Whitehead has boldly delved into a little known era and brought to life one of it's shadow legends; the daughter of Alfred the Great who learned to rule in her own right. As Whitehead points out in her forward, England at this time, was not one nation but several. Her main character, Aethelflaed, whom she nicknames, Teasel, starts as a child having grown up in Mercia (one of England's kingdoms) though she is the daughter of a 'West Saxon'. The two nations, North (Mercia) and South (Wessex) are meant to be allies against the Vikings but end up having a very rough alliance and there are many unnecessary skirmishes and in fighting. In the book, Whitehead has her main character, Teasel, bring the two kingdoms to solidarity through support of both her father (king of Wessex) and husband (king of Mercia).

The story is epic and told in beautiful detail. Annie Whitehead has done her research, but she at no time 'info drops' on the reader. There are language and heritage guides at the back of the book, but reading the story, I found it easy to pick up Saxon words as Whitehead introduced them. She brings to life not only the era but the individuals that are often glossed over in history.

As the book starts with Aethelflaed as a child in Mercia, continues with her childhood in Wessex, then follows her life as she grows before finally becoming first the wife of a great leader, then a leader herself, and then her death... well, it's a long tale. For those who want to dive into the past and live every moment surrounded with that era, this book is the one. For those wanting a good story, this will fit the bill too. However, be warned, there are some slow scenes where we get to know Teasel and her family well, and the made up romance between Teasel and one of her husband's trusted warriors slowed the story down more in my opinion. Even so, I enjoyed reading To Be a Queen and highly recommend it to readers of Anglo-Saxon history and historic fiction.

Research Challenges and 16th Century Murder Mysteries

There are many challenges to researching an historical fiction novel. Firstly, I'd like to state that research is no stranger to me; I've been happy researching for decades, be it Roman, Anglo-Saxon, pre-history, Medieval or later. My degrees are in earlier periods (predominately Early Medieval England, Scotland and Ireland) and I have been working in Tudor buildings or re-enacting Tudor era since before the millennium. Yet I still faced many challenges. Research for some is a joy and for many it simply includes picking up a few basic history books and looking up wiki facts (which I don't condemn at all – even wiki can help a researcher by listing references below which can be followed up. It's an excellent starting point for a new researcher, but do be aware that facts are sometimes incorrect on wiki and should be used as a compass point and not an actual reference).

But there is another type of research, infinitely more fun and rewarding; and that is to go out and do your own primary research. Visit the British Library if you are able, see for yourself the manuscripts that the historians are using as the foundations of their history books. Go to those castles and photograph like mad (if permitted, if not, just get a feel for the place and take copious notes) to understand exactly how your characters, historical or fiction, would be interacting within those stone walls. Visit every museum you can that holds artifacts from the era you are researching and talk to other researchers.

Researching for the 16^th century for A Corpse in Cipher was incredibly enjoyable but it was certainly fraught with challenges. For one, many of the history books of the Tudor era are heavily Elizabethan biased. Assumptions seemed to have been made on this that project later Tudor living onto the earlier. Although Anne Boleyn is a vigorous subject both as Elizabeth's mother and in her own right, I've noticed histories focus on her experiences and her husband's without much regard for era details outside of the bedchamber. General Tudor history books will try to encompass early Tudor living, but it is still based on the Elizabethan (and Henry's sex life). This is a pitfall into which many new writers can fall; relying on generalized histories that do not concentrate specifically on their era.

Which brings me to the second challenge – money. Unless you have a university library to hand filled with books belonging to your research era, the necessary books will need to be obtained via cash means. Even with good research libraries at hand (lets face it, public libraries just aren't going to have that rare copy you're after nor will they purchase it at request), photocopies for books that mustn't leave the property can add up. So can photograph permissions and publishing rights. It all adds up. E-bay is a beautiful thing for books. I've found some rare treasures on e-bay that years of searching dusty old second hand shops have yet to yield. As most writers are poor, doing accurate research is going to be expensive.

There are many more challenges, but I'll just sum up the next two here, and that is distance and status. I was lucky enough to be living in England (fortuitously just an hour north of London on the train, which put me in an advantageous physical location as I was surrounded by Tudor era buildings all within an easy drive or bus ride) and I know that others don't have that advantage and 'getting there' is going to be more costly than the acquisition of the right books. And of course, just like when I attempted to arrange a meeting with the assistant curator of Castle Howard to view some Tudor era letters, I lacked enough clout to be taken seriously (why allow a writer of fiction books access to fragile documents, it's not like it's a 'research degree') and there were many, many others who gave the same cold reception. Of course, it may have helped if I'd first prepared a letter of introduction from someone high up in the field. Then again, it may have proved to be just as fruitless. Without the backing of a university (an active backing, as postgraduate alumni don't seem to matter), those doors just keep being slammed.

The good news is that there are many enthusiasts within each research era that can give reference pointers (don't ever just take one person's word for it – do the research! I've met some lovely people online and at re-enactments who are still hanging onto some outdated theory or disproved 'fact'). There are also online histories that have transcribed documents and made them available to the general public... for free. With the right timing, wording, and yes, introductions, some museums and research centers will respond with tips, facts or even invites for viewings, but expect many doors to be slammed in your face first if you're not carrying a postgraduate research degree badge. It's not an easy life-choice to make, but doing the proper research for your book will make it more believable not just for your readers, but for you. And if you happen to discover something new that the historians have overlooked, don't hide it away, share it. It may just open a few more doors...

A Corpse in Cipher – A Tudor Murder Mystery by Lizzy Drake is available in print and as an e-book

Corpse Call

There are just days left before the book launch for A Corpse in Cipher – A Tudor Murder Mystery. As the first in the new Elspet Stafford Mysteries (set in early 16^th century England) I'm both apprehensive and thrilled. The book was received well by my readers but what about the public? There was also that debacle about my pen name (which has been altered to Lizzy Drake due to another author having published as I was editing and taking the name I had first wanted). As another author had taken the name, I had to pull the book, seek out my wonderful cover artist, Berni Stevens, and beg for a change of name on the cover, get a new ISBN (as the book had just been approved to print by the printer) and upload everything fresh. One heart attack and two new Facebook pages later, Lizzy Drake was launched as my official pen name for the Elspet Stafford Mysteries and the kindle book is up for pre-order.

The print book is due to arrive any day for final approval (again, but with the revised name). I can't wait to hold the book in my hands. It's been a long while since I've been excited about one of my publications and I'm a little proud of this one. One international move, a crashed computer, over 500 lost photos of Tudor palaces that I'd taken during a year of research trips, missing boxes during international shipping and one name calamity later, this book represents so much more than a new series for me, it also heralds the absolute change of lifestyle.

From now on, my writing schedule has changed and become incorporated into my daily work. One new mystery title per year is now the bar (as well as entering the new titles into as many literary competitions as I can). Balanced with apartment renovations (this year I've learned how to lay laminate flooring; I've gone from excavating Roman flooring to laying new ones), blogging and research between school runs, the future looks to hold more dark and alluring crimes set in Catherine of Aragon's early years as Queen. Already book two is in the research stage and set at Framlingham Castle...

Lizzy Drake's first Elspet Stafford Mysteries book is out 15^th of December.
 ISBN 978-1519569448

Online Book Launch - A Corpse in Cipher

Save the date, on the 15 December, 2015 from 6pm-8pm UK time (10am-noon West Coast US time) is set to be the first online book release for A Corpse in Cipher, by Elizabeth Drake. This is the first novel in a new series of Tudor murder mysteries set in Henry VIII's early reign. It features Elspet Stafford, a young woman of marriageable age whose mind is every bit as sharp as her elderly friend and accomplice in detection, the Dowager Duchess Lettice. The only problem, aside from the odd random corpse showing up on their doorstep, is that everyone keeps trying to marry off Elspet.

Here is the back cover blurb for book one to whet the appetite:

The year is 1513 and Elspet Stafford is a young woman with a promising future. She is engaged to a knight, she has the lineage of a royal family and can't wait to start her new life. She's never met her betrothed, but he sends her regular letters; ciphers and puzzles for her to decode to keep her distracted from her mother's overbearing nature. When news of his death reaches her, she finds it hard to believe, especially as the messenger also brings a letter from the fallen man himself for her to decode.

She takes the letter with her when her mother sends her to a relation's manor where she is to be trained for court. Before she can decode her letter, she stumbles across the body of a murdered man in the manor's courtyard; a murder which the Lord of Ufford Manor is determined to cover up.

Striking an unlikely alliance with the Lord's mother, Dowager Duchess Lettice, Elspet must decode the letter and discover what truly happened to the unfortunate man. But some mysteries are safer left alone and soon both women find themselves deep in intrigue, plots and of course, murder.

About the author:

Elizabeth Drake has been studying Medieval and Tudor England for over 15 years and has an MA in Medieval Archaeology from the University of York, England. She has been writing for much longer but the Elspet Stafford Mysteries began her writing career in the genre.

When not writing or researching, Elizabeth can be found reading or gardening. She balances time between her two homes in Essex, UK and California.