Ladies and gentlemen, imagine yourselves back in time, nearly 900 years, to the middle of the 12th century. Imagine that you are in the Great Hall at the court of Raimbaut d’Aurenga in the castle of Courthézon, three days’ ride east of here, on a good horse, a little north of Avignon … Last week, in…
Occitan Female Lord – publication day!
Today is the publication day for Almodis: The Peaceweaver, my novel based on Almodis de La Marche, the 11th century countess of Toulouse and Barcelona. Almodis was a scandal, excommunicated, and one of the most powerful of a number of female lords in southern France and Catalonia in the early Middle Ages. She and her…
The Viking Hostage – Publication Day
Very excited to announce the publication today of the new edition of The Viking Hostage. The novel is based on the true story of a French viscountess who was kidnapped by Vikings from a monastery on the French coast in the late 10th century. She was held for ransom for three years. Vikings are endlessly…
Celebrating Independent Bookshops
Today is the start of Independent Bookshop Week in the UK and Ireland. Browsing for books in a shop is a whole different experience to searching online. Browsing can reveal unexpected and wildly treasured finds. One of the things I love about Independent Bookshops is that they are run by people who are as crazed…
Gwenllian – Welsh Warrior Queen
A guest post on my novel, The Anarchy, and the story of Gwenllian, the 12th-century Welsh woman who led an army against the Normans at Kidwelly Castle is posted today on Tony Riches’ The Writing Desk. Gwenllian was the daughter of the king of the northern kingdom of Wales, Gwynedd. She married the disinherited king…
Quicksand
The spectacular Romanesque abbey on Mont-Saint-Michel island off the coast of Normandy is marking its 1,000-year birthday this year, with President Emmanuel Macron among those visiting for the celebrations. Nine hundred years ago, Henry de Normandy (a major character in my Conquest trilogy of novels) played a significant role in Mont-Saint-Michel’s history. Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey was…
Unpacking Books
Unpacking the latest batch of books. Since last November, I have been working on reissuing my five historical novels under my own imprint, Meanda Books. Daughter of the Last King, The Drowned Court and The Anarchy – my trilogy on medieval Wales are all available now in hardback, paperback and ebook. Coming next, The Viking…
Happy May Day
Happy May Day! The Anarchy, the final book in my medieval Wales trilogy, is published today. The novel deals with the 12th century succession crisis after King Henry I lost his only legitimate male heir in a shipwreck and tried to make his daughter, Empress Maud, his successor. It also covers the Welsh uprising against…
Untangling Nest ferch Rhys
In the 12th century, the Welsh noblewoman, Nest ferch Rhys, was married to the Norman steward of Pembroke Castle, Gerald FitzWalter. One dark night, soon after Christmas, the Welsh prince of the neighbouring kingdom of Powys, Owain ap Cadwgan, broke into the castle where Nest, Gerald, their children and household were sleeping. Owain was accompanied…
Browsing for Books
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…
Tracey Warr Writing 