Cathie Dunn writes...

Today, I'm delighted to welcome author Laura Briggs to my blog as part of her blog tour with Rachel's Random Resources . Laura will tell us a little about her brand-new release, A Spirited Girl on Cornish Shores. It's a Halloween Romance!  Laura has even brought with her some goodies for you to win, so make sure you enter into the Rafflecopter giveaway below to be in for a special treat! Having sadly never been to Cornwall (it's been on my list of places for too long to remember), I'm intrigued about Laura's novels. I hope you are too. So, grab a cuppa and get settled... Over to Laura... Writing a Spooky ( But Not-Too-Scary) Halloween Romance! Thank you so much to  Cathie  for letting me share with her lovely readers about my newest romantic read,  A Spirited Girl on Cornish Shores . If you’ve seen the cover art for this book, you’ve probably guessed already that it’s a Halloween-themed story. It’s also the sequel to my summer romance ...

Today, it's my turn to conduct an interview. It's an event I've been waiting for patiently whilst other intriguing characters took their turn in the Historical Writers Forum "Interview My Character" Blog Hop . Make sure to discover their interviews – and some fabulous historical fiction! My very own Geoffrey de Mortagne from Dark Deceit will be featured on 21st July 2019. I'll share the link here. Bear that date in mind... So why am I slightly nervous when facing Aldaith, a gorgeous Viking warrior? Hmm. Self-explanatory, isn't it? But I must not raise the suspicion of his wife. I might be an OK archer, but I don't quite fancy my chances in a sword fight against a shield maiden! Aldaith is, as already said, a Viking warrior, a fascinating man, who is featured in Sarah Dahl's "enchanting" Tales of Freya, a collection of sensual historical short stories. I found his story gripping and his relationship to Nyssa intriguing. But wit...

As I'm struggling to finish the contemporary part of my dual-timeline mystery, Love Lost in Time , I thought I share with you a brief excerpt. A little teaser, if you like. Having written several historical novels, getting my writing mind to accept modern technologies and communications is a bit bizarre. But I'll get this done, one way or another! lol About Love Lost in Time: Maddie Winters, a history lecturer and author, inherits her late French mother's house near the historic town of Carcassonne in the south-west of France. During renovation works, she discovers several ancient bones which turn out to belong to a woman who had lived in the area, then called Septimania, over 1,200 years earlier. But just who was she? And why was she not buried properly? Excerpt: The silence of the house unnerved Maddie. Only in remote places had she experienced such quiet. Out in the open countryside she’d welcomed it. The past was talking to her there, in ancient ruins or...

Join me on a little journey to my favourite country –  Scotland .  Despite my love for warmth and sunshine, my heart will always stay in the Scotland. I lived there for around 16 years, and I still miss it. The breathtaking beauty of the scenery and the fascinating history over many centuries combine to provide us with intriguing ruins and riveting tales. Buachaille Etive Mòr, Scottish Highlands Now you know why I – now that I live in France – still write fiction set in my previous home, my spiritual home. I think you can see why... Hut near Culloden field My  Highland Chronicles series is currently made up of Highland Arms , and A Highland Captive , but I currently have another two stories in the pipeline. All Highland Chronicles tales are standalone, set in different times, so can be read independently from each other. Watch this space...  Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness Highland Arms is a tale set on the shores of Loch Linnhe, my favou...

I'm delighted to welcome author Jen Black to my blog. Jen writes historical fiction , and today, she tells us a bit more about something vital to writing historicals: research! Over to Jen... ~~~ Research and Historicals The thing about writing historicals is that there is always research to be done. Not only on what happened when, to whom and why, but also on locations. Visiting the places that feature in stories is often illuminating. Victorian, Georgian, and even Tudor buildings are not too hard in the UK, but when I made a 4-day trip to Dublin, I discovered that the street I had chosen to house my heroine’s home was still there. I walked up and down Fishamble Street with my eyes as wide as they would go. Why was I so delighted? Because I had set my story in the eleventh century – almost a thousand years ago. The street looked nothing like the scene I had envisaged, but that didn’t spoil things for me. There might be ordinary brick buildings there now, but the sh...