I couldn’t stop turning just one more page, well, ok, just one more chapter… so much was familiar, yet so much was new and interesting. You really don’t know what to expect, which to me is a sign of a well written story. At no time did I want to end this book… not just fiction, but factional.. and I can’t wait to read more from this author.
Chris captures exactly what I always hoped readers would experience while reading Brigid’s story. And I pay tribute to bloggers like Crissouli for sharing my novel and their opinion to the wider reading world. On a more personal level, I was delighted to discover Chris chose my story because (in her own words).
The title attracted me as well as the description of a lacemaker, being a family historian and a craftswoman. It also helped that I am named after my Irish grandmother, Bridget, who was a native of Co Clare. (And Chris lives in Brisbane, where part of the book is set).
I’m even more delighted that Chris calls the story factional and plans to use if as reference material. Brigid had a different cover in those days, but you can read the full review here.
It’s always a pleasure to meet new people and make new friends through connections like these. I can’t say thank you enough to people who contact me, review my stories and tell other people. Are you a genealogist? Or a craftsperson, or Irish (or Welsh, like me). Please don’t be shy. Write to me.
Earlier blogs talked about the historical characters of Sarah and Martha and the tragedy of them losing so many children, and the difficulties women faced when they lost their husbands. But then women – and children – were considered, if not expendable, then of less importance as it was not unexpected when they died. Life…
Recently, a conversation with other historical fiction writers convinced me that time travel is possible – at least, in your head. We talked about how, especially in the early morning half way between sleep and waking, we can find ourselves living the lives our characters’ lived in whatever era, dimension or state they come from….
I’ve spent quite some time running down rabbit holes recently looking for people and their stories, discovering what life was like in the 1920s here in New Zealand, and connecting a few dots. What struck me most while doing this research, is how similar life is today to then, as it was fifty or a…
Staying with Bristol and Welsh Back from my previous blog for the moment, what always fascinates me about research in the UK and Europe is the history. I especially love the ancient buildings that have stood the test of time for centuries, and are still in use today as places to live, to work, and…
It’s always lovely to hear from readers, but especially so when they have such nice things to say. I’m delighted to have received such wonderful comments about my latest story, Portrait of a Man. Muriel said: Wow’. Took me a few days to come back to domestic routines after finishing “Portrait of a Man”. Story…
A perfect example of a story in need of telling is Martha of Paisley, both the title of my next novel and the woman at its heart. In my recently released memoir, Where Stories Lie Buried, I outline where my inspiration for each book came from. Martha is the next woman to entice me to…
