Over ten years ago, I stumbled across Meg Bogin’s book, The Female Troubadours, in the library of University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s where I was studying for an MA in Creative Writing. I was working on my first novel at the time, based on the real woman, Almodis de La Marche, the countess of…
Category: Books
Idiosyncratic Bookshops and Lovely Libraries
My bookshelf (above) has been published today on Shepherd.com, which is creating new and unique ways for readers to find amazing books. In this bookshelf post I write about the serendipity and synergy in what can be found through browsing (as opposed to purposeful searching). Idiosyncratic bookshops and lovely libraries bring unexpected twists to my…
Spring is sprung
Spring is arriving at last in southern France where I am copyediting my novel, The Viking Hostage. I was delighted to revisit this quotation from Freda White’s Three Rivers of France: ‘the spring in Aquitaine comes flying from the west in a swirl of flowers, with summer hard on its heels, pursuing it by the…
Book Giveaways Ending Soon
Here’s a sneak preview of the new cover for Book 2 in the Conquest trilogy. An astonishing 2,175 people have so far entered their names in the hat for my Goodreads Giveaway of a signed paperback copy of the first edition of Daughter of the Last King. The Giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents…
Happy Welsh Lover’s Day
January 25th is Welsh Lover’s Day, celebrating Saint Dwynwen, a 5th century princess who was thwarted in love. Dwynwen had 23 sisters. She fell in love with Maelon Dafodrill but her father, King Brychan, would not allow her to marry him. Dwynwen fled to the woods, and Maelon was turned into a block of ice….
Free Books
I’m currently running a free paperback book offer. Have a look at the choice and grab one! Book Sirens are also inviting reviewers for the new ebook edition of my book, Conquest I: Daughter of the Last King, which is published on 1 March 2023.
Surviving Vikings, rodents, and war
In my most recent lecture for MA Poetics of Imagination at Dartington Arts School, I considered the production of medieval books. I hope some of the students are now busy making their own writing surfaces, inks and pigments. To survive into the 21st century these medieval books had to run the gauntlet of flood, fire, war,…
Of things I’d rather keep in silence I must sing
I’m currently preparing a teaching session for MA Poetics of Imagination at Dartington Arts School on the troubadours and trobairitz, which put me in mind of a wonderful writing residency I had a few years ago in the beautiful medieval village of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie in France. In 2016, I collaborated with artist Tania Candiani on an…
Impressive Books
My publisher, Impress Books, has changed hands. Immense thanks to Richard Willis who founded Impress Books and launched my career as a published historical fiction novelist. And hello, Jeff Collyer, who has taken over and has lots of exciting plans in the pipeline for the Impress Books list. Thank you, too, to my fellow Impress…
The Midden – art and ecology
My most recent art publicationThe Midden is published by Finnish publishers, Garret and HIAP, and designed by NODE, Berlin. I co-edited this exploration of contemporary art and ecology with Jenni Nurmenniemi and wrote one of the essays. Other essays are by Antti Salminen, Taru Elfving, Jussi Parikka and Jenni Nurmenniemi, along with two short texts by…
Tracey Warr Writing 