Rosemary Morris's Blog - Medieval Fiction

Seasonal Fruit from an Author's Organic Garden

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

Added by Rosemary Morris on August 30, 2009 at 1:42am — No Comments

Murder Most Foul - A Classical Tale from Ancient India

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

Added by Rosemary Morris on May 15, 2009 at 12:14am — No Comments

Queen Anne - 1702-1714 - Part Three

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

Added by Rosemary Morris on February 7, 2009 at 3:01am — No Comments

Queen Anne - 1702-1714 - Part Two

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

Added by Rosemary Morris on February 7, 2009 at 3:00am — No Comments

Queen Anne - 1702 -1714 - Part One

My novel, Tangled Hearts, is set in the reign of Queen Anne a ‘Cinderella’ princess of little importance during her childhood. At her birth, neither her uncle, Charles II, nor her father, James, Duke of York, imagined she would become the last of the Stuart monarchs. After all, Charles’ seven bastards proved his virility and there was every reason to believe he and his queen of three years would have legitimate heirs to the throne. And in the unlikely event of their not producing one, his broth… Continue

Added by Rosemary Morris on February 7, 2009 at 2:59am — No Comments

An Author' Garden in August

An Author’s Garden in August I wish I could bottle the fragrance of my garden in Hertfordshire, South East England. When I open the windows, front or back doors the perfume of lavender and roses wafts through the air. I have introduced biodiversity into the garden which bees, butterflies and hoverflies visit. Unfortunately slugs and snails also inhabit my garden. I garden veganically and combat their attacks on the vegetable patches by encouraging wildlife – flat stones on which thrushes can s… Continue

Added by Rosemary Morris on August 6, 2008 at 1:27am — No Comments

A Writer's Plan for a Summer Day

A Writer’s Plans for a Summer Day Two of my interests in life are writing fiction and gardening. These activities complement each other. For the first I need a fertile imagination, for the second fertile soil suitable for the requirements of various plants. Sometimes I think that I would be happy if I had nothing more to do than write and garden. So far, this morning has been typical of an early summer day. Here in Hertfordshire, England the sun is shining but the air is cool. As soon as I woke… Continue

Added by Rosemary Morris on June 17, 2008 at 4:11am — No Comments

Chapter One - Tangled Hearts by Rosemary Morris

TANGLED HEARTS CHAPTER ONE Fothering Place, London, England1702 Lord Chesney sat at ease in his lodgings and eyed his friend, Jack, Duke of Hertfordshire, whose tall frame was clad in extravagant silk and velvet. Gem set rings, illuminated by brilliant candlelight, adorned his long fingers and His Grace’s dark amber eyes were alert. His square face with its cleft chin looked tense while he toyed with his blond periwig. His eyes keen, Jack spoke. ‘My bailiff tells me you bought Field House.’ C… Continue

Added by Rosemary Morris on April 25, 2008 at 11:44pm — No Comments

Tangled Hearts by Rosemary Morris. Authors Notes and Prologue

I am proud to announce that my historical novel Tangled Hearts, set in the reign of Queen Anne, will soon be available in bookshops. It is now available from my Author’s Notes When the outwardly Protestant Charles II died in 1685, he left a country torn by religious controversy but no legitimate children. The throne passed to his Catholic brother James. It was an anxious time for the people, whose fears increased when James II, became so unpopular that he was forced into exile. In 1688, James’… Continue

Added by Rosemary Morris on April 19, 2008 at 3:01am — No Comments

Gardens Past and Present

My interest in gardening and history extends to Garden History and the effect of changes in climate over the years. At the moment I am reading A little History of British Gardening by Jenny Uglow. It begins with a mention of the Iron Age in the first Chapter: 'Did the Romans Have Rakes" and is a mine of information. Ms Uglow describes gardens large and small, the plants and the gardeners. She writes: "I wish there were medieval monastic gardens for us to visit, to wander from the cloister to… Continue

Added by Rosemary Morris on April 17, 2008 at 2:43am — No Comments

A visit to Ham House, Richmond, England

I research my romantic historicals intensively, reading, using the website and visiting places of interest. In the summer, Anita Davidson, author of Duking Days, and I visited Ham House, near Richmond in Surrey, England. Built in 1610 for Sir Thomas Vavasour, Knight Marshal to James 1st, and subsequently owned by the Duke and Duchess of Lauderdale, Ham House is now owned by the National Trust. I imagined the hero, Chesney, and the heroine, Richelda, of my novel Tangled Hearts, taking the air i… Continue

Added by Rosemary Morris on April 15, 2008 at 11:43pm — No Comments

Introduction from Rosemary Morris author of Tangled Hearts

I cannot remember a time when my head was not crowded with ideas for short stories and novels. As I grew older my love of history developed. English language, literature, history and geography were my favourite subjects at school. I read as much children’s historical fiction as the library could provide. In my early twenties, I wrote several romantic historical novels, one of which was accepted by a publisher. Unfortunately, he reneged on the contract. Over the years, several literary agents ac… Continue

Added by Rosemary Morris on April 15, 2008 at 10:54am — No Comments

Rosemary Morris's Blog (12)