‘Anna noticed a huge, pale toad, its eyes bulging and swivelling towards them, its mouth pulsing as it croaked, white skin cladding its muscled limbs, making its body appear horribly naked.’ It is Hallow’s Eve 1093, and the trobairitz Beatriz and lady’s maid Anna are in the Pyrenees. On this night, the veil between the…
A deserted castle
It’s 1093 and the trobairitz Beatriz is in the Pyrenees where she encounters murder, a revenant, and some very bad weather. ‘As I rounded the next twist in the ridge path, I saw the castle on a hill to the right above the village. We ceased our conversation to urge on our exhausted horses as…
Winter is Coming
‘A kettle of black vultures soared above us. I tapped Anna’s arm again and pointed. Anna’s face lit with wonder. The birds’ huge wingspans made them look like dark angels. ‘Are they a good omen or a bad, Beatriz?’ Anna asked. I shrugged. ‘They are birds flying in the sky. That’s what they do. I…
Medieval Travellers in the Pyrenees
‘We paused our slow progress along the narrow mountain ridge as warning calls passed back along the line of travellers, voices crisp in the mountain air. Despite telling myself repeatedly not to look down, I could not resist glancing at the land that fell away steeply to either side into heavily wooded ravines. The white…
Chestnut Festival in France
Here in Occitanie in southern France, we’re celebrating the start of autumn today with the village’s annual Chestnut Festival featuring pumpkins, squash, drizzly weather, beautifully coloured leaves flaunting on the trees, and, of course, everything chestnuts.
Melissa Addey Novels
Historical novelist Melissa Addey recently featured my novels in her newsletter, and here is a little information on her work. Addey searches through history for stories to share with readers who love detailed research and forgotten stories. So far, her travels have taken her from Ancient Rome to medieval Morocco, 18th century China and Regency…
New novel launching soon with a dance
Celebrating the completion of the manuscript for my next novel with a dance! Working on the rewrites and proofing now. The ebook is available for preorder and the paperback is coming soon – publication day 17 November. In the link below, you can see a video of an Occitan ronda dance from my village in…
There is no map
Tiffany Black’s exhibition There is no map opened yesterday at Musee d’Art Moderne in Cordes sur Ciel in 81170 France and continues until 1 November 2026. Sculptures, films, drawings and paintings come together as an ensemble to make a moving statement on how we travel through life and what we make of it. Tiffany Black…
Colours of the Landscape
This Friday 18 September 2026, Tiffany Black’s exhibition There is no Map opens at the Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain in Cordes sur Ciel, 81170, France. The exhibition runs until 1 November 2026. I’ve written the preface for the exhibition catalogue and here’s an extract from my text: Tiffany Black’s exhibition presents the viewer with…
A Body in a Particular Place
In the latest issue of Historical Novels Review, Frances Spufford in an interview says, he tries to find details when writing his novels, ‘the kind that go straight to the reader’s senses. The ones that tell you what it was like being a body in a particular time and a place.’ Spufford’s alternative history novel…
