Cathie Dunn writes...

The countdown is on!  Only four more days to go until A Highland Captive is let loose! I’m very excited, but also terrified. My first completely new release in nearly seven years. Gulp! A Highland Captive is the second tale in my Highland Chronicles series set in the beautiful Scottish Highlands, a region I miss very much. Books in the series are standalone, but that doesn’t mean that characters within them may not feature in another story in future. Watch this space! It’s already available on pre-order at Amazon , so if you fancy, feel free to grab it whilst it’s only 99p / 99c. On Sunday, the story will then magically appear on your Kindle, and you can dive straight in... I hope you'll enjoy it. My beta-readers have helped me immensely in the final stages of preparation, and it now reads much better. My thanks goes to them. You know who you are! But for now, enjoy the blurb, and an exclusive excerpt of the beginning of A Highland Captive . The small island...

Today, I welcome historical fiction author Janet P. Reedman to My Place. She tells us a little about a town called Amesbury, in beautiful Wiltshire, England, close to the impressive site that is Stonehenge. An ancient place, there is much to discover.  Over to Janet! ~~~ Amesbury, in Wiltshire, is not the most beautiful English town or the one with the most ancient buildings. However, its history goes back into the mists of time, and it has a claim on the title of oldest permanently occupies settlement in the British Isles, with the first inhabitants living and feasting during the Mesolithic. It is the nearest town to Stonehenge, and also the burial place of a medieval Queen and a princess who had a claim on the English crown…. The main areas of interest fall on High Street and Church Street. Starting on the old High Street, you immediately notice a large white inn with a sign that reads ‘The George.’ What you see today dates from the 1500’s-1600’s, when a timber-framed b...

It has been a long time coming, I know. But finally – finally! – I’m about to get started on the sequel to Dark Deceit . And I can’t wait to get stuck in and meet my characters again. It will be set a few years after DD, beginning in Normandy, where Geoffrey and Alleyne have settled into his family home, but also taking us to other exciting places, and not just England! So, as expected, it requires much historical research into the movements of my characters – Geoffrey in particular! As the struggle for the throne continues in England, his presence is also required elsewhere by his liege lord. Again, he must choose which path to follow, whilst not forgetting to keep an eye on Will who still keeps hold of Alleyne’s manor. Poor Geoffrey can’t be in all places at all times, can he? As NaNoWriMo is approaching, I’ve begun to plot their movements, but writing the basic first draft will be my task during November, and I’m determined to reach the magical 50,000 word mark. Of course...

After much ah-ing and ooh-ing - and a few select swear words - my work is finally done: the trailer for Dark Deceit is complete! ~happy dance~ Dark Deceit , a historical novel with mystery and romantic elements, is the first in The Anarchy Trilogy. It's due to be published through  Crooked Cat Publishing on 10th February 2012 ! Blurb: On his return from battle at Lincoln, Geoffrey de Mortagne, under-sheriff of Gloucester and spy for the Empress Matilda, assists a dying knight caught in an ambush. Promising to look after the welfare of the knight’s only daughter, Geoffrey stays at her manor while he investigates the murder. Keen to join the Empress on her progress through England, he is torn between his oath and his duty. Left to defend her manor following her father’s death, Alleyne de Bellac at first accepts Geoffrey’s support. As she doesn’t trust the taciturn stranger, she asks Will d’Arques, an old friend, for help. But loyalties change. Her life in danger and her ...