Seasonal Fruit from an Author’s Summer Garden

I have gardened organically for the last twenty years in Hertfordshire, England. When I moved into a house with a medium size back garden overgrown with blackberries, thistles and nettles I knew I must invest time and money. So, I decided to make my money work for me. Instead of concentrating on ornamental plants I planted fruit trees. I now have a wild plum tree, a cooking apple tree, three eating apple trees, two pear trees, two plum trees and one… Continue

Murder Most Foul

When the sun retired on cool evenings, purple shadows crept across the fields and villagers sat in stout, mud-brick houses either gossiping or telling stories. The elders sat closest to slow burning fires of cow-dung cakes dried during summer’s ferocity, and whenever they mentioned King Chitraketu’s name, they praised him.

Yet the king found his life more barren than a desert because he had not received a son from any of his wives. Whether he resided in his capital city Mathur… Continue

I've joined this group as a writer. I thought about lurking as a reader, but then thought that was probably unfair. The best deal would have been to say I was both, because of course, I am. I'm always half-way through something or looking for a new read.
So what do I write? Well, it won't be a surprise if I say historical romances. My first was a true attempt at a historical~ BANNERS OF ALBA, and the second was a stand-alone sequel, if such a thing is possible. That was DARK POOL. They're both a… Continue

Queen Anne Part Three

Princess Anne’s relationship with Sarah Jennings, the future Duchess of Marlborough would last into her middle age.

Sarah, a year younger than Anne’s fifteen year old stepmother, was the daughter of a landed gentleman and the young sister of Frances Jennings, a maid of honour, appointed to serve Anne’s mother.

At the age of twelve, Sarah, who would play such a crucial role in the Cinderella princess’s life, was appointed as one of her attendants. Years later Sara wrote:… Continue

Queen Anne – Part 2

Princess Anne’s mother died and her father, James, Duke of York, had taken the unpopular step of becoming a Roman Catholic. Her uncle, the childless King Charles II, knew politics demanded his heirs, Anne and her elder sister, Mary, be raised in the Protestant faith. He appointed Lady Frances Villiers, a committed Anglican, as their governess and leased Richmond palace to Frances and her husband.

The princesses benefited from country air and were privileged to live by the T… Continue