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.
At a recent presentation given by six of my writing group, one of the things that struck me was their passion – the belief in their words, and the constant desire to write. As I listened to them outlining the stories behind the book, and the research involved, it made me think about all the…
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…
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….
Every one knows that authors are introspective creatures who spend days weeks, and months, on their own, locked in a room finding words to string together that will tell the story buzzing in their head. They are introverted, isolated and solitary during this writing phase and – for most authors – it is the most…
As many of you know, I delve into the past quite a lot. I’m always looking for a story – an anchor for my next character to get involved with – and found myself fascinating by the late 19th century, a period of time with many ‘firsts’ in this country, especially for women. Achievements we…
I have never been to Bristol. Yet I have wandered its streets, found its lost pubs, traced its floating harbour, and followed a Victorian woman through sixty years of her life there. That’s what genealogy research does to you. I’d stepped sideways in the hope of finding a link for my third and fourth great-grandparents…
