Writing the Tudor trilogy - in which Tony Riches shares insight into his inspiration - Anna Belfrage

Today, I’ve invited Tony Riches to tell us about his Tudor trilogy, a series that has us following this future dynasty from the moment Owen married a royal widow to when his grandson became king. I mu...

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August 28, 1551 – Mary Resists the Council - Janet Wertman

Mary was in a tough place during her brother’s reign: her fierce Catholicism was increasingly at odds with Edward’s fervent Protestantism. While Somerset was Lord…

janetwertman.com

Sumptuary Laws in Medieval Florence: The Fashion Rules Women Had to Follow - Medievalists.net

Medieval Florence enforced strict sumptuary laws that regulated women’s clothing, jewellery, fur, and luxury fashion in an effort to control status and behaviour.

medievalists.net

The Crusades: From Primary Source to Scholarly Verdict

A scholarly overview of the Crusades from the First Crusade (1095) to Saladin’s conquest of Jerusalem (1187). We examine primary sources from this period, considering how we can answer some of the…

medievalstudies.thinkific.com

Tour Scotland Photograph Harbour Cellardyke

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Beyond the Viking Age

A new novel is in the works from bestselling author Eric Schumacher, as well as a short story about Stamford Bridge. Read about them here.

ericschumacherauthor.substack.com

You might well have read romantasy there and wondered what it was all about, but while this is certainly ‘my romance’ story, this book (which you may have read in a previous iteration), like my historical fiction novels, was most certainly inspired by my historical research. Read on….. The setting for Dragonbound – the first book in the Ice and Fire series The Ice and Fire series is set in my re-imaginings of an alternative Viking-age Iceland, with dragons (and a few other things going on too). So yes, this is potentially not a ‘normal’ inspiration for fantasy writers, but I’ve always been drawn to fantasy books that heavily rely on a historical setting (and very rarely a true medieval one, (although the PERN novels of Anne McCaffrey do perhaps fall into that category)).  What drew me to this time and place was the stunning bravery of men and women who decided to risk it all and start afresh in an entirely new ‘land’ to the one they called their home. It’s always been said that Iceland was settled because those living in Norway didn’t wish to fall under the sway of ‘a’ king, and a king they were going to get in the final years of the 800s. While this is somewhat contested now, back then (last century when I first had the idea) this enthralled me.  Iceland, when it was settled, is said to have been empty apart from one of two religious figures living at the extreme of the known world. Can you imagine being the first to step foot on that landscape? It must have been magical. But that wasn’t the only inspiring element. Those first settlers also undertook a number of endeavours that are unique. They wrote the Landnámabók (the book of Settlements)– a book detailing the land claimed by those settlers, and in that way recorded their history (astonishing).  The Landnámabók begins, ‘In his book On Times the Venerable Priest Bede mentions an island called Thule, said in other books to lie six days’ sailing to the north of Britain. He says there’s neither daylight there in winter, nor darkness when the day is at its longest in the summer.’ (from the translation by H Pálsson and Paul Edwards.) These settlers also vowed to have no one king and to rule largely through consensus (amazing). And they decided to live in an environment that was harsher than they were used to, even coming from Norway. And so, I set my characters in an idea of what this might have been, adopting the customs, the ideas, the way they might have lived, but in an entirely fantastical world (unless, of course, there were dragons in Viking age Iceland). I do not profess that everything is accurate (it isn’t), it couldn’t be, but the beautiful, deadly landscape; the bravery of those men and women all inspired me to create the setting for the world of Ice and Fire (and, to be honest, earlier iterations stayed even more true to this setting and landscape, but have been somewhat relaxed to ensure this is a work of fiction).  An antique map of Iceland Here’s the blurb The Long Night is ending. The dragon is waking. Sereh is finally free — but the frozen wilds are just as deadly as the life she left behind. When she saves a mysterious stranger, she binds herself to a fate she doesn’t understand. Erann has secrets. About the cold. About the land. About why the world is changing. As the Long Night lingers and something ancient stirs beneath the frozen land, survival means staying together. And their fragile alliance turns into something neither of them can afford. Because in a world of ice and fire, trust might be the spark that destroys them both. This slow-burning Norse fantasy romance is perfect for fans of Robin Hobb, T. Kingfisher, S.L. Rowland and Anne McCaffrey. Releasing 23rd September 2026 Check out the dedicated website for the Ice and Fire Series Check out the Ice and Fire Series page on the blog Buy direct from me Posts Introducing Dragonbound, the first book in the Ice and Fire series, a book 18 years in the making #historicalromantasy #authorinspiration July 23, 2026 It’s time… 757, the first book in the brand-new series, The House of Mercia, is now available. Listen to me talking about the new book #fiction #TalesOfMercia July 22, 2026 757, the first book in the brand-new series, The House of Mercia. Listen to me talking about the new book #fiction #TalesOfMercia July 15, 2026 757, the first book in the brand new series, The House of Mercia. Here are some photos from my visit to Repton’s Saxon crypt #fiction #TalesOfMercia July 8, 2026 It’s happy release day to The Eagle Will Rise, the first book in The Sundered Kingdom Series. Listen to me talk about why I wrote this book #newbook #historicalfiction #Mercia May 7, 2026 Storm of Mercia is now available. This is also known as ‘the one on the ship.’ #histficbook #newrelease #authorinspiration April 5, 2026 Storm of Mercia is now available. Let’s talk about Wynflæd #histficbook #newrelease #characterinspiration April 4, 2026 Introducing Mercia: A Companion Guide to the Tales of Mercia April 2, 2026 It’s happy release day to Storm of Mercia. Return to the world of young Icel in the ninth book in the Eagle of Mercia Series. #histficbook #newrelease #HadPossessionOfThePlaceOfSlaughter April 1, 2026 It’s (nearly) happy release day to Storm of Mercia. Return to the world of young Icel in the ninth book in the Eagle of Mercia Series. #histficbook #newrelease March 25, 2026 The Secret Sauce is now available in audiobook format #histfic #historicalmystery March 24, 2026 Introducing The Ultimate Pantsers Writers’ Notebook by yours truly March 23, 2026 The Dark Age Chronicles might be complete, but I imagine my readers still have questions. Check out this blog post about what comes before (and what came after) #TheDarkAgeChronicles#MenOfIron #WarriorsOfIron #LordsofIron #histfic February 14, 2026 Introducing 757, the first book in the brand new series, The House of Mercia #fiction #nonfiction #Mercia February 12, 2026 It’s cover reveal time for Storm of Mercia. Return to the world of young Icel in the ninth book in the Eagle of Mercia Series. #coverreveal #preorder #histficbook February 7, 2026 It’s happy release day to Lords of Iron, the third and concluding book in the Dark Age Chronicles Trilogy. Let’s talk about battle standards #newrelease #MenOfIron #WarriorsOfIron #LordsofIron #histfic January 5, 2026 It’s happy release day to Lords of Iron, the third and concluding book in the Dark Age Chronicles Trilogy. Watch and listen to a short recording about the research books I used #newrelease #MenOfIron #WarriorsOfIron #LordsofIron #histfic January 5, 2026 It’s nearly happy release day to Lords of Iron, the third and concluding book in the Dark Age Chronicles Trilogy. Let’s talk about Wærmund, warrior of the Gyrwe #newrelease #MenOfIron #WarriorsOfIron #LordsofIron #histfic January 4, 2026 It’s nearly happy release day to Lords of Iron, the third and concluding book in the Dark Age Chronicles Trilogy. Here are the original (very long) historical notes for Men of Iron #newrelease #MenOfIron #WarriorsOfIron #LordsofIron #histfic January 3, 2026 It’s nearly happy release day to Lords of Iron, the third and concluding book in the Dark Age Chronicles Trilogy. Let’s talk about Meddi , the seeress of the Eorlingas #newrelease #MenOfIron #WarriorsOfIron #LordsofIron #histfic January 2, 2026 2025 – A Writing Year in Review January 1, 2026 The inspiration for The Barrage Body, book 4 in The Erdington Mysteries (and why this isn’t quite the book I thought it would be) #histfic #mystery December 16, 2025 It’s happy release day to The Barrage Body, book 4 in The Erdington Mysteries #histfic #mystery November 30, 2025 The Secret Sauce is on blog tour with Rachel’s Random Resources hosts. Check out the reviews, blog posts and Q & As below #histfic #historicalmystery November 19, 2025 Shield of Mercia is now available. Return to the world of young Icel, and listen to me rabbiting on, again #newrelease #histfic #TheEagleofMerciaChronicles #audio October 5, 2025 It’s happy release day to Shield of Mercia. Return to the world of young Icel. I attempt to summarise all the books in just 20 seconds each. #newrelease #histfic #TheEagleofMerciaChornicles October 3, 2025 Letter writing in the Eleventh Century, how I recreated Lady Estrid’s connections with her vast family. #non-fiction #histfic September 20, 2025 What languages were being spoken in Post-Roman Britain? #newrelease #MenOfIron #WarriorsOfIron #histfic September 17, 2025 The Saxon Settlement of Tamworth in the 800s July 16, 2025 It’s happy release day to Warriors of Iron, the second book in the Dark Age Chronicles Trilogy #newrelease #MenOfIron #WarriorsOfIron #histfic July 13, 2025 Warfare during the Saxon period. What we know and what we don’t about the battle of Hædfeld. #GodsAndKingsTrilogy #histfic May 25, 2025 It’s happy release day to Betrayal of Mercia, so I’m sharing a post about Crime and Punishment in Saxon England January 5, 2025 It’s happy release day to Betrayal of Mercia, so I’m sharing a post about Mercia’s alleged ‘Bad Queens.’ January 5, 2025 It’s happy release day to The Last Deceit, book 10 in The Last King series, so I’m sharing a blog post about my decision to include a fictional character December 26, 2024 MJ Porter’s Saxon Stories Order and Series Pages | Infographic July 27, 2024 The Royal Women Who Made England: The Tenth Century in Saxon England. But who were these royal women? January 29, 2024 I’m welcoming Anthea Laurelton and Fearless Hearts Forbidden Love to the blog #HistoricalRomance #SpartanRomance #HistoricalFantasy #HeartsOfSparta #FearlessHeartsForbiddenLove #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub July 21, 2026 I’m welcoming G.G. MacLeod to the blog with VIA MALORUM #AncientRome #Agrippina #Messalina #DarkRomantasy #PsychThriller #Giallo #BlogTour #ReaderReach #TheCoffeePotBookClub #YardeBookPromotions July 16, 2026

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For the love of life

Short and sweet review for my thriller,  Overkill : Zoe J 5.0 out of 5 stars   For the love of life . Reviewed in the United States on Aug...

uviart.blogspot.com