Jayne's Corner: Interview with Amy Licence

I have been lucky enough to interview one of my favorite non-fiction writers, Amy Licence. She very kindly agreed to answer some of my questions and I thought I would share them with you.

You have so far chosen to mostly write about women from the 15th century, so what made you choose them ?

There are two answers to this: one about women but also specifically about the 15th century. I can’t help but feel drawn to that period in time, although I started out being interested in the Tudors and gravitated to the Wars of the Roses. Something about that century fascinates me and I can’t really offer a satisfactory explanation of why. I can say that I find the people and events fascinating, but I expect enthusiasts of any era would make the same assertion. The closest I can come to it, is to say that I feel most at home there. Regarding the women aspect, I’ve always been interested in women’s lives, in their experiences within a patriarchal framework and just how far they were able to exercise any influence or control at all, from queenship to motherhood. The women of the 15th century particularly fascinate me because so many of them remain an enigma to us, although they must have been key players in the dynastic power struggles of the day. I don’t accept the theory that they were just there to reproduce. They may not have sat in council chambers or fought on battlefields, but as wives, mothers and daughters, I’ll bet they had a lot to say.

Do you have a favourite out the three women, Anne Neville, Elizabeth of York or Cecily Neville?

They’re all very interesting to me and as I researched each, I learned just how remarkable their lives really were. I think there is a lot we will never know about Elizabeth’s history and marriage and I am endlessly fascinated by the question of what exactly Anne Neville did or didn’t know. But I have to say that Cecily’s role probably interests me the most. As the wife of the Duke of York, and the mother of Edward, George and Richard, she was in a unique position at the heart of that family and occupied a place in their lives. There is also a degree of controversy about some of Cecily’s decisions, such as her support of George’s rebellion against Edward and her role in the allegations about her own fidelity. Perhaps more than the other two, she shaped contemporary events, which is all the more ironic, as she was the only one of the three who did not become queen.


As  a wife and  mother of two young boys how do you manage to make time to write?

It’s literally as you suggest, I have to make time. I’m at home with my toddlers all day and I have to work by stealth. It means that I have to read and think, seize opportunities and use my time effectively. I don’t really watch TV and I don’t procrastinate or waste time. Before I had the boys, it was relatively easy to come up with reasons not to write and put barriers in the way but now, the busier I am, the more I have to just facilitate my writing. I’ve really discovered that the only way to do it, is to actually do it, to stop worrying and finding excuses, just to snatch this half hour and get something typed. Every minute I’m thinking about the next thing I’m writing; I tend to mull over a paragraph for a while and then dash off to write it down before playing Thomas the Tank Engine. I’m also lucky that my husband will take them out for the day, so I can get a good uninterrupted stretch. If I’m not exhausted at the end of the day, I’ll try and do a bit then too.

How long does it take you to research each book?

My publishing record looks a little misleading, as my books have come out in a relatively short space of time, but I would describe this process as an overnight success that took 25 years in the making. I did my MA in medieval history back in 1995 and since then, I’ve never stopped researching and writing on the topic, so I’ve accumulated a body of knowledge over the past two decades- in fact, I began well before that. It’s all there in my head or jotted in notebooks, so with each of my books it was a case of accessing the information and doing some further, specific research for that individual. That process can take around nine to 12 months.


When did you first begin to be interested in history?

I’ve been interested in history as long as I can remember. My parents took me to visit castles and on digs and I’d worked through my local library’s shelves of medieval and Tudor books by the time I was about 14. It was just always there. I decided I would be a writer when I was eight and wrote my first novel at 11 and my first full length biography when I was sixteen, on the romantic poet Thomas Chatterton.

How do you manage to find all your sources for information and do you try to visit some of the places you mention in your books?

I think I’ve been very lucky with the timing of my career. A lot of the key texts, historical and literary, I’d read whilst at university but in recent years, so many primary sources, court records etc., have been uploaded online. It means that I can access and search chronicles and accounts, court payments and letters from my kitchen table. In around 2001, when I was still trying to get published, I was trying to write a biography and there were just no sources out there, so I had to go up to the British Library every weekend. My children hadn’t arrived at that point, so I would teach all week, spend Saturday in the reading room making notes and write them up on Sunday. I couldn’t do that now; the Internet has made it possible. Having said that, there is no substitute for getting out there and visiting these places, and seeing the actual records in the archives. Now my boys are four and 20 months, and I’m starting to take them out to some of the places I write about. Recently, while I was researching my Richard and Cecily books, we managed to get to Raglan Castle in Wales and Tonbridge Castle. They quite enjoyed running about with wooden swords.

What is in the future for you as a writer?

At the moment, I’m working on a book about Henry VIII’s women. Some of the most famous books on this topic are a few years old now and easily turn into a narrative of Henry’s life. I’m writing a really colourful account from the women’s perspectives; what was it like to be his wife or mistress? It’s difficult to squash him down, as he is such a gigantic character, but the focus is definitely on the women. After that, I’m returning to the 15th century to write a joint biography of Edward IV and Elizabeth Wydeville.

Thank you to Amy for sparing the time to talk to me. She has a website which can be accessed here. 

Jayne Smith is a member of The Review team and a great lover of history. 

Lisl Reviews: Who Killed William Shakespeare? by Simon Andrew Stirling

Please see below for giveaway information

Who Killed William Shakespeare? The Murderer, The Motive, The Means

Simon Andrew Stirling

When I first cracked open my copy of Who Killed William Shakespeare? and gave it my usual pre-reading examination, the exercise gave time for a flood of memories to wash through my mind: reading the plays in high school and university, of course, but also how teachers and professors taught them, what we discussed on the side, the high or low passions, variety of angles we came from with our comments and questions. It occurred to me that I, neither anti-Shakespeare nor aficionado, not only know very little about his life, but also his death. There were no memories of discussions or even lectures relating to his demise.

With this in mind I went to the Internet to see if I could learn more about this angle—or, more particularly, to see what exactly everyone else knew that I didn’t. I was in for a bit of a surprise because nowhere did I see even any allusions to homicide. I picked up lots of typhoid mentions, especially connected to the time in which he lived. Other possibilities included alcoholism, though with the supporting evidence of a “merry meeting” after which the playwright died, this seems a reach, given the long-term nature of this disease. Nevertheless, for whatever the condition speculated, many posters seemed to agree that Shakespeare knew he was seriously ill. Shaky signature, two wills within weeks of one another, etc.

Elizabethan England is not my chosen era of great study, but I did know it was a dangerous time in which to live, especially if you were the wrong religion. Prosecution for the crime of illegal worship was swift and consequences horrible—simply describing them out loud is painful to the mind. Therefore I wondered why no one seemed to consider that politics was just as much a hazard to one’s health as any disease on the rampage. Many are familiar with the need for Shakespeare to have written to please the queen; a civil war was looming and religious intolerance was rampant—all elements that continue to exist in our world today and so even if from a distance, most have some understanding of it.

To be fair, delving into those murky waters is challenging, to say the least, and, as Stirling quotes Shakespearean scholar Schoenbaum, “What we would not give for a single personal letter!” or even “one page of a diary!” Alas, this is not a luxury available, making the parts and the sum of Stirling’s research all the more impressive.

Opening with reference to the disappearance of the real Shakespeare to be replaced by a mythical figure, Stirling shifts to the personal Shakespeare and various interpretations of his life and legacy. Specifically he challenges the notion that nothing is known about the playwright and commences the laying out of his research, which over the course of the book shows how history was in the process of being re-written when he still lived, in the 18^th century and even today when Shakespeare continues to be celebrated as what the author refers to as a “trademark.”

But why would anyone need to re-invent who Shakespeare was? What needed to be covered up? Why would anyone murder him? And how could they get away with it? While part of the mystery rests within the who, readers shall not be let down when within the first section a suspect is revealed—in fact, the book’s blurb provides this information:

He was (indeed) honest, and of an open and free nature: had an excellent Phantsie; brave notions, and gentle expressions: wherein he flowed with that facility, that sometime it was necessary he should be stopped. . .

Like an investigator, Stirling turns to the method of collecting evidence to prove the means, motive and opportunity; without such, “knowing” is insufficient to support a successful criminal proceeding. Other elements are required, however: the presence of reasonable doubt as to the suspect’s guilt might wash away the strength of those three aspects. In three sections, titled after these elements, the author explores in great detail avenues of the crime, including what led to it and subsequent events.

Following an author’s note is the “Preamble: The Apotheosis of Shakespeare,” designed to provide background information for readers before they are led into the “Means,” which wastes little time in identifying central players and their significance to the main events. Scholarly in nature and non-linear, the narrative’s density may initially have a somewhat disconcerting affect, though readers may rest assured they will settle quickly into Stirling’s style: direct and smooth, the book reads like a mystery—a literary mystery in which clues to stage and governmental politics are contained in the plays themselves. Personal significance, such as motives and history behind particular lines are explained in a way so fluid that readers move in and out of events as if they had personal connections.

The amount of research that went into the book surely must have been staggering, though Stirling lays it all out in such a way we tend not to think of it as pieces fitted together. It is as if he has pieced together a puzzle but we cannot see the lines; rather there is an image before us so magnificent, its contours and colors matched so brilliantly it wipes away understanding or awareness of the labor required to perform the task.

For example, Henry Wallis’s painting, A Sculptor’s Workshop, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1617, exhibited in 1857, provides some interesting insight; the author utilizes, amongst other knowledge, Greek myth and another painting to show how the artist drops heavy hints about events that led to an assault and the assailant’s role in supervising the funerary monument:

The Greek myth recalls the ‘merry meeting’ [and a] strained epitaph game—the ‘Rhymes’ which, according to Michael Drayton, who was there, [were made] with Shakespeare[; his opponent became] angry when he was ‘out-gone’. Hercules had been similarly incapable of controlling his rage ‘as a hero should’. He attacked the river god. Achelous turned himself into a snake and then a bull. Hercules wrestled the bull to the ground and tore off one of its horns, mutilating the river god’s brow.

It is moments such as this, laid out so efficiently, with such artistry and accessibility that Stirling draws readers’ sustained attention and focus to what he shows us, and creates a gripping drama that captures and carries us on to the next scene, and the next, and the next. There are many familiar names—Catesby (descendant of the first in the “Catte, the Ratte and Lovell our dogge/rulyth all England under a hogge”), Throckmorton, Marlowe, Percy, Cobham, to name a few—that weave across time and consciousness, reminding us of the myriad connections between people and events, within their own time and others’.  

For this reason, I found it helpful about midway through the book to return to the author’s “Preamble” in order to refresh my own recollections and re-connect what I was reading with what Stirling had provided in this first section. This is by no means a shortcoming of any sort on the book or author’s part, and in fact I found that section very helpful to return to on occasion to re-capture links I’d lost track of.

There indeed is a great deal to absorb: Elizabethan and Jacobean politics, much of which (in education) stays hidden behind the curtain of “golden age” history; family and religious history and tensions; theatre and its obligations to the Crown; art and literature; government intrusion; family feuds; crime and punishment—it is as if the writing of the book required an author who is in part psychologist as well as detective, his forensic talents extending across all of the above to provide an examination of how this society affected one man—and all of us.

Though there are several segments I connected to more—including the portion in which the author examines Wallis’s painting—what I appreciated most about the book is Stirling’s honest and fair treatment of William Shakespeare. Popular culture tends to view him as upright and formal, laughing in disbelief at wooden-jaw caricatures or amazement at his appearance in other works of literature, acting out such ordinary human behavior as behaving impulsively or possessing sexuality.

Here we find a man who is real, in a society and era hostile to who he was, and governed by those who would destroy him. He responds to many instances in ways we might criticize or copy; discussing the reality of his person honors him far more than a created image that falsifies the man. Stirling, too would have it no other way: “During the course of our investigation, a picture of Will Shakespeare will emerge which differs from the familiar, squeaky-clean image of the Bard.

There will be no sweeping of vital evidence under the carpet. We owe him that.”

If you are a Shakespeare “fan” or not, familiar but not well-versed, lover of history or plainly inquisitive—and for many other reasons, this book is for you. It is a smooth read that will persuade your curiosity out into the open, sharpen the senses and bring into the light some painful truths about our own histories. As the author writes, the truth we owe Shakespeare must be brought out of hiding, as does that we owe to our children.

Simon Andrew Stirling is also the author of The King Arthur Conspiracy: How a Scottish Prince Became a Mythical Hero, and may be found at Art & Will.

Simon Stirling has so graciously offered a free copy of Who Killed William Shakespeare? for a lucky winner. To enter, simply comment below or at this entry's matching Facebook thread. 

If you would like Lisl to review your book or conduct an interview, please see our submissions tab above. Lisl can also be found at before the second sleep.

Sunday Wrap Up: Week ending April 27, 2014

Please note this is another week in which every review has a giveaway~so be sure to follow each link to their respective reviews and comment for your chance to win! 

Weeeeeeeeeee're back! The Review Group have been having a spot of relaxation before last week and here we are again to greet you with a wrap up of what you've missed or reviews you'd love to re-visit, and posts that are sure to take their rightful places amongst many other favorites. 

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To welcome you to kick back and enjoy the tales told, here's our own Louise Rule to give you a glimpse of life with the Grahams.

Anna Belfrage continues her on-going Graham Saga with Serpents in the Garden, after which we are promised at least three more books in this exciting series.

"In Serpents in the Garden, book five in The Graham Saga, we are back following Alex Lind from the 20th century and her husband, Matthew, from the 17th century, thrown together through a rift in time, carrying on their adventures in the New World. Maryland is where they have settled since fleeing their beloved Hillview in Scotland because of Matthew's religious convictions. Now they are settled in their new home which has been named Graham's Garden.

What a book this is! There is more mayhem, more fighting, and Anna certainly doesn't give her readers any respite from the drama of living in 17th century Maryland. There are the old adversaries, and there are also some new and disturbing ones."

Will the Grahams ever find any peace and quiet? Why not find out? It's not too late to add to your summer reading (especially you northerners out there who are still kicking away the last snow berms), and what better way to get started than to win a free copy!? Check out the rest of Louise's fab review for details as to getting in on the action!

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"Feud," Emma assures us, "is one of those books that makes reading (and reviewing) so worthwhile and downright enjoyable.  From the striking cover that hints at what lies within, to the last cliffhanger of a sentence, the reader is taken on an enthralling, action-packed and absolutely riveting adventure." That's the hook part; next she goes for reeling in the line: "A violent, emotional and long-standing argument between two land-owning families against the backdrop of the opening era of the Wars of the Roses, Feud gives us an insight to how life must have been. Survival of the fittest - both in mind and body - was the key.  The opening paragraph in this book is where the action starts: no build-up, no hint of what’s coming, just boom!  And the reader is in the thick of it. The author cleverly portrays the transition of the feud from fathers to sons within these opening paragraphs whilst maintaining the constant environment of the war. It is at this point so early on in the novel, that I must say this book is not for the squeamish. The reader is never allowed to forget the era, the trials and tribulations and the constant struggles faced by the characters." Now is that a whammy, or what? This spectacular-sounding book also has a giveaway, and your name just might be the one drawn from the helmet~you know there's only one way to find out!

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Lisl keeps the historical fiction pattern going with her review of a book set in Great War South Australia, scene of some unloveliness. "Opening with “Magpies and Mendelssohn,” we see Neddy approaching a music hall from which come voices singing God Save the King, accompanied by piano. Though initially shooed away, he makes his way inside to warn Elsie Fischer, whose family later Anglicise their names, the better to fit in, of danger to her father. Misunderstood by many, Neddy is referred to as the “dull-witted child.” Indeed, he cannot communicate in typical fashion and uses his singing voice to reach Elsie.

[H]is voice utter[ed] a wordless succession of shrill cries. She gaped at him. His voice was so clear, so sure. It uttered just two notes and she could see them as if written. First a crotchet, then an accentuated minim; together making an interval of a rising augmented fifth. A call of alarm!"

"As the individuals’ stories proceed and make connections, readers are given a greater understanding of the war mentality and how it drives otherwise peaceful citizens to harass some of their neighbors to such an extent that lives, careers and futures are destroyed. Using the language of music to convey some of his most lyrical passages, Crabbe guides readers through a story that matures, much like its characters, who themselves act almost as part of an opera, engaging us in the history of a young nation seeking its identity." Join Lisl in exploring this poignant set of novellas, and look for your chance at a freebie by commenting at the review. 

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Last but not in any way the least, Simon rounds out the week with his ongoing celebration of the birth of William Shakespeare~~poet, playwright, actor, subject of great mystery! Get ready to re-examine everything you have ever been taught about this fascinating figure: "[M]uch of what we think we know (or what we think we don't know) about Shakespeare comes from a period many years after Shakespeare lived. Between 1769, when the actor-manager David Garrick hosted his farcical "Jubilee" for Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon, and 1785, when Rev. James Wilmot, a clergyman who had retired to a village near Stratford, first suggested that Will Shakespeare could not have written his own plays, all our notions about Shakespeare changed.

It was during that very period that the Warwickshire lad became "the god of our Idolatry". At the same time as Will Shakespeare became a kind of national figurehead - the secular patron saint of England - we forgot who he actually was. A scholar named George Steevens whittled the known facts of Shakespeare's biography down to a few notes. We know that he was born, got married, had children, went to London, wrote some plays, and then he went home. And that's all we know."

When you think about it that way, pretty heady stuff!

Happy Birthday, Shakespeare!

450 years young today!!

(I wouldn't worry too much about the argument that we don't know exactly when Shakespeare was born. It's more accurate to say that we don't know exactly where Will Shakespeare was born. But there's very little reason to imagine that he was born on any other date that 23 April - and, as I point out in my Who Killed William Shakespeare?, the likelihood that he died on the same date as he was born is not without significance.)

Today we celebrate the birthday of one of the greatest writers who ever lived. But who, or what, are we actually celebrating?

It might seem an odd question. And yet, if the answer were all that obvious, there wouldn't be so many people out there who seem determined to "prove" that William Shakespeare, Gent., of Stratford-upon-Avon could not have written the plays that made him famous.

There isn't a shred of evidence that Shakespeare himself did not write his plays. What is lacking is a credible biography of the great man. And so I can empathise (a little) with those who struggle to match the playwriting genius with the rather innocuous figure we read about in so many books.

Of course, 23 April is also the feast day of England's patron saint (I'm tempted to put, "England's other patron saint" - you know, the one who never set foot in England).  In many ways, this coincidence is part of the problem. When we celebrate Shakespeare's birthday (and his deathday) we're simultaneously celebrating St George and, by definition, everything that we think of as being essentially English. It's as if Robert Burns had succeeded in being born on St Andrew's Day. The national poet inevitably becomes slightly confused with the patron saint.

In fact, much of what we think we know (or what we think we don't know) about Shakespeare comes from a period many years after Shakespeare lived. Between 1769, when the actor-manager David Garrick hosted his farcical "Jubilee" for Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon, and 1785, when Rev. James Wilmot, a clergyman who had retired to a village near Stratford, first suggested that Will Shakespeare could not have written his own plays, all our notions about Shakespeare changed.

It was during that very period that the Warwickshire lad became "the god of our Idolatry". At the same time as Will Shakespeare became a kind of national figurehead - the secular patron saint of England - we forgot who he actually was. A scholar named George Steevens whittled the known facts of Shakespeare's biography down to a few notes. We know that he was born, got married, had children, went to London, wrote some plays, and then he went home. And that's all we know.

In the process of restricting the "known" facts about Shakespeare's life to the barest minimum, a huge amount of local knowledge was rejected. Personally, I blame David Garrick and his allies: they ridiculed the people of Stratford-upon-Avon at the same time as they put Shakespeare up on a rather cheap and nasty pedestal. What the Stratford folks remembered about their town's most famous son had no place in the "new" biography of Shakespeare. Best to know nothing at all about him than to remember the facts of his life.

Two years from now, on 23 April 2016, we shall be celebrating the 400th anniversary of his death.  And, frankly, I'm expecting that to be a much more interesting event. By then, we should have accessed the crypt beneath a church, 12 miles from Stratford, and had the chance to study a skull which might well be Shakespeare's. By comparing that skull with the portraits and busts of Shakespeare (including the "Wadlow" portrait, above, photographed by Chris Titmus of the Hamilton Kerr Institute), we should know for sure whether or not it is Shakespeare's skull. If it is, then we will know a great deal more about him - and especially how he died.

(I will also have published a new biography of Sir William Davenant, the poet laureate - born in 1606 - who claimed to be "the son of Shakespeare".  Unsurprisingly, Davenant's reputation took a dive at the same time as the revamped, reduced biography of Shakespeare was taking root.)

All that in itself will cause many problems. The Shakespeare we are taught at school, the Shakespeare who is written about in so many books, is still the Shakespeare who was invented in the late 18th century. Not the man of Stratford, but a national ideal: essentially, a myth. And a political one at that.

So I would like to suggest that today we celebrate the make-believe Shakespeare (the one we know so little about). At the same time, we should look forward. This could be one of the most exciting and intriguing periods in Shakespeare research. We might yet be able to rescue him from the cold, dead hand of the "official" myth, the Shakespeare "brand", which goes down well with tourists but leaves us all in the dark about him. And then we will have something to celebrate.

He was one of us - not a "demigod", as David Garrick tastelessly described him, but a truly sensitive, troubled, gifted individual.  A man who knew love, pain, grief, horror, fear, and who expressed those emotions more eloquently and convincingly than any other person ever has.

Happy Birthday, Shakespeare; your time is yet to come.

Simon Andrew Stirling is the author of The King Arthur Conspiracy (The History Press, 2012) and Who Killed William Shakespeare? (The History Press, 2013).  He will be talking about his work on Shakespeare at the Stratford Literary Festival, Stratford-upon-Avon, on Tuesday 29 April.

Lisl's Bits and Bobs: Review of Song of Australia

Song of Australia by Stephen Crabbe

Growing up as many of us did, learning in history classes of German aggression against others, Stephen Crabbe’s Song of Australia is a departure, moving away from this into the stories of Germans—specifically German-Australians—who suffered discrimination and abuse based on their ethnicity. Set in the state of South Australia during the Great War—a world war at that time not being numbered or perceived to need such label so as to differentiate from some other world war—the book is divided into three novellas, the interconnectedness of which is slowly revealed as the characters move through events that link back to each other.

Opening with “Magpies and Mendelssohn,” we see Neddy approaching a music hall from which come voices singing God Save the King, accompanied by piano. Though initially shooed away, he makes his way inside to warn Elsie Fischer, whose family later Anglicise their names, the better to fit in, of danger to her father. Misunderstood by many, Neddy is referred to as the “dull-witted child.” Indeed, he cannot communicate in typical fashion and uses his singing voice to reach Elsie.

[H]is voice utter[ed] a wordless succession of shrill cries. She gaped at him. His voice was so clear, so sure. It uttered just two notes and she could see them as if written. First a crotchet, then an accentuated minim; together making an interval of a rising augmented fifth. A call of alarm!

Crabbe’s flow of words here is somewhat deceptive because although the style seems fitted to approximate what many regard as the more “innocent” speech and perception patterns of the early 20^th century, it is brimming with symbolism. Perhaps autistic (the book never reveals exactly what disorder the child possibly experiences), Neddy does not express himself in a way most of the community can comprehend. Rather, he utilizes music to speak, deftly mimicking the magpies whose tree he shares and to whom he relates so closely. It is interesting to note that several websites give magpies symbolic meaning for such traits as being perceptive and expressive as well as deceptive and illusory—characteristics owned by those around Neddy depending upon their understanding of his search for a voice, a medium with which to communicate to others.

In search of voice also is the German community, many of whom are individuals born and raised in Australia but often treated like enemies. Elsie’s father, target of the xenophobic and threatening conversation Neddy had overheard, stifles his own voice while trying to show Elsie to seek her own, even during flight to the relative safety of the city, where they might better blend in.

The book’s other two novellas, “Song of Australia” and “The Parade,” develop in more detail the threat to Germans of Australia as we see Elsie and Edwin, a young man struggling with the contradictions between faith and war, develop a friendship that rewards as well as endangers. Attending language lessons together they become involved with Will Krause’s endeavors to find a place in Australia, itself seeking identification, all intertwined in Carl Linger’s “Song of Australia.”

Edwin, who hides his anti-war stance and Elsie her true background, work to develop a manner in which they might speak to the world, as would Australia, as “free and strong, but peaceful,” in defiance of their true circumstances, which force them into the silence of an illusory existence in which others perceive them not for who and what they are, but rather what their own deceptions perceive them to be.

As the individuals’ stories proceed and make connections, readers are given a greater understanding of the war mentality and how it drives otherwise peaceful citizens to harass some of their neighbors to such an extent that lives, careers and futures are destroyed. Using the language of music to convey some of his most lyrical passages, Crabbe guides readers through a story that matures, much like its characters, who themselves act almost as part of an opera, engaging us in the history of a young nation seeking its identity.

Stephen Crabbe can be reached at his Facebook author page as well as his blog, where he discusses writing, books, music, language and life.

The author has graciously offered a paperback copy of Song of Australia for one lucky winner! Simply comment below or on our Facebook thread for this review and you are entered~that’s all there is to it!

If you would like Lisl to review your book or conduct an interview, 

please see our submissions tab above. 

Emma Reviews: Feud by Derek Birks

Feud by Derek Birks

Feud is one of those books that makes reading (and reviewing) so worthwhile and downright enjoyable.  From the striking cover that hints at what lies within, to the last cliffhanger of a sentence, the reader is taken on an enthralling, action-packed and absolutely riveting adventure.

A violent, emotional and long-standing argument between two land-owning families against the backdrop of the opening era of the Wars of the Roses, Feud gives us an insight to how life must have been. Survival of the fittest - both in mind and body - was the key.  The opening paragraph in this book is where the action starts: no build-up, no hint of what’s coming, just boom!  And the reader is in the thick of it. The author cleverly portrays the transition of the feud from fathers to sons within these opening paragraphs whilst maintaining the constant environment of the war. It is at this point so early on in the novel, that I must say this book is not for the squeamish. The reader is never allowed to forget the era, the trials and tribulations and the constant struggles faced by the characters.

There is a good supporting cast to protagonist and antagonist.  In fact, neither character would have been so real, so believable and so dimensional without the other characters. This was another talent by the author - keeping the characters consistent whilst having their own battles. Not once are they over-played, misplaced or unnecessary. They don’t fade out at all; not once was I left wondering what they were up to as they popped up at the right moments! Each play their own role and there are mini-adventures within the main story and it works. Very well. The only thing I feel may throw a reader in the beginning are the chapters defined by a timeline that jumps back and forth a tad. This does, however, settle down and it becomes easier to understand where you are.

The ‘darker’ characters portray the violence, the lack of conscience and the greed that must have abounded during these times, and the thread that these characters weave throughout the book are what keeps the reader on his toes!

You will find yourself rooting for the good guys (corny, I know, but you will!) at every plot twist and turn. Again, a warning - the tale is written in all its bloody glory and there are war injuries galore. I could almost smell the camp fires, the stench and fear of the armies preparing to fight. The scenes are described with clarity yet not over-described and yes, you really do feel you are there.

The author of Feud, Derek Birks, most certainly shows his knowledge of real battles, weaponry and medieval war plans; it’s almost like he’s had a previous life as a medieval knight.  The author is also very good at conveying the camaraderie of knights together, forging bonds in preparation of the fighting ahead. Medieval soldiers most certainly didn’t need any ‘team bonding exercises’! In this instance, I’m reminded of Helen Hollick’s Harold and Bernard Cornwell’s Uhtred series - whilst the stories are set quite a few hundred years apart, the finite detail of warfare and its horrors are conveyed with aplomb by these authors.

As for the hero, Ned Elder, don’t expect a strikingly handsome ‘knight in shining armour’ winning all and trotting off into the sunset. In fact, ‘hero’ doesn’t really cut it either.  This is a man fighting for survival, his birthright and his kin. He has failures, faults and he is bloodied and wrecked - he is real.  This is what I really enjoyed about the book; even the scenes with Edward IV are written with simplistic style. The reader is made aware that although Edward is obviously a king, with his stature, his charisma and his leadership being more than evident, you are also reminded he is but a young man, with the same fears and worries as Ned. The first scene he is in, when Ned is unaware whom he has come across in the forest, is memorable indeed. It is two young men, ravaged by the what is happening in their land, bouncing their fears and anger off each other. Marvellous writing.

There are also some strong female characters intertwined with the leads.  For lovers of historical fiction, you just know women like this existed; they had to be tougher than the men in many aspects. The Elders are certainly made of strong stuff.

This is a fabulous journey of a book. From the opening scene until the last paragraph, the action never stops. Quite literally. There is an author’s note which I feel adds value to historical fiction, especially when you want to research times, places and battles yourself. If you’re not cheering on Ned Elder in his fights, you’re praying for his family, hiding behind cushions in the battles and despairing when the story takes a turn you didn’t expect or want. The book actually finishes on a cliffhanger; there is no happy ending here just yet and I was very relieved the sequel is already published. And I cannot wait to start it!

Derek Birks can be found at his website, where you can also read about Feud's sequel, A Traitor's Fate.

***Update: There is a free copy up for grabs, so if you'd like to get your name in the hat, simply comment here or on the thread matching this review. Simple as pie!***

If you would like Emma to review your book, please see our submissions tab above. 

Serpents in the Garden by Anna Belfrage - Reviewed by Louise E. Rule

Anna Belfrage continues her on-going Graham Saga with Serpents in the Garden, after which we are promised at least three more books in this exciting series.

In Serpents in the Garden, book five in The Graham Saga, we are back following Alex Lind from the 20th century and her husband, Matthew, from the 17th century, thrown together through a rift in time, carrying on their adventures in the New World. Maryland is where they have settled since fleeing their beloved Hillview in Scotland because of Matthew's religious convictions. Now they are settled in their new home which has been named Graham's Garden.

What a book this is! There is more mayhem, more fighting, and Anna certainly doesn't give her readers any respite from the drama of living in 17th century Maryland. There are the old adversaries, and there are also some new and disturbing ones. 

We find now that Alex and Matthew's sons Daniel and Jacob are grown: Daniel is imminently going off to Boston where he will train to be a minister, and Jacob has been assigned to the Hancock family where he is learning to become a lawyer's clerk, as described in book four, A Newfound Land.

In book five Jacob has been apprenticed to Mr Hancock for four years living under their roof. Betty Hancock had been contracted to be betrothed to him in book four, but they have only ever seen themselves as brother and sister, that is until now. In recent months they begin to see each other as more like the betrothed that they will become. Jacob on the other hand has no intention of continuing his apprenticeship with Betty's father. He wants to travel, see the world, and have adventures. They both know that this would be frowned upon, and not allowed. Jacob should stay and complete his apprenticeship with Mr Hancock. If Jacob absconded Mr Hancock would have his contract annulled, thus making Betty free to be betrothed to another. Neither Jacob nor Betty want this, so Jacob suggests to Betty that they should be handfasted before he leaves.

They make simple vows handfasting themselves together. Jacob beds Betty, their first time, thus consummating their union. Later that night Jacob leaves by the window with his few belongings to set off on his adventures, leaving Betty alone to face the trouble that she knows herself to be in. Jacob had not only shamed himself, but Betty and his mother and father, too. What would her father say when he found out? What would Alex and Matthew say when they found out? How much trouble would they find themselves in? Were they even old enough to understand the ramifications of their deeds? The unfolding story is filled with emotions both dire and unforgiving.

Jacob's adventures on board the Regina Anne, the boat onto which he smuggles himself, are everything that a boy's own adventurer would want. The captain of the Regina Anne is a friend of the Graham family, as it was he whose ship had carried Alex across the ocean to rescue Matthew all those years ago, and carried them back again when they decided to settle in the New World. Captain Miles soon found Jacob stowed away on the boat: 

...["J]acob Graham." He sighed. "And what am I to do with you? Whip you and set you ashore?" Jacob grinned. The coast was dwindling fast behind him, and as to the whipping - no, he didn't much believe in it. 

"I want to see the world," Jacob said, "now, before I grow too old." 

Captain Miles huffed with exasperation. "And do your parents know where you've gone?" 

Jacob hitched his shoulders. "I left them a letter," he replied in a tone far more relaxed than he was. "You left them a letter? Daft lad! Matthew Graham is not going to like this, is he?" 

Jacob ducked his head. A pit yawned inside of him at the thought of Da's reactio[n.]...

So, the dye is set, and Jacob's adventures bring him in contact with the estranged brother of his father. The infamous and evil Luke Graham. We see a different side to Luke Graham in Serpents in the Garden, one that is both surprising and disconcerting. You feel as though you are being reeled in by his change in character. Is it a change in character, or has he just become more subtle?

Anna seamlessly reminds previous readers of events that have gone before in such a way that a new reader will be kept fully informed without realising that it is a recap. This is an art that Anna does really well, almost like invisible mending. Each book in the series can be read as a stand-alone novel, so there are no loose ends; each one is woven together as an artisan would weave a bolt of cloth. The infamous and treacherous Burley brothers are back in action. Will they succeed in maiming or killing Matthew for killing their brother? Will they destroy Graham's Garden? There is also Angus, an indentured lad paying off his and his dead father's passage to the New Land, and working for Matthew. He is a troubled soul, and has been drawn to Daniel in a loving way. What will become of Angus when the Grahams find out? 

As with all Anna's books about The Graham Saga, the loving and tender moments between Alex and Matthew are described in detail and with great finesse. Though some may just think the imagination would serve better, it does demonstrate the loving bond between Alex Lind of the 20th century and Matthew Graham of the 17th century, and just why Alex does not want, under any circumstances, to travel back to her own time. Not only do we have the loving moments between Alex and Matthew, their eldest children are of an age that their loving moments too are now described. Some may think the detail too much, and the cliché 'less is more' would serve better. It is clearly subjective.

Anna Belfrage

Anna's writing style is fluid, and fills the readers' imaginations with cinematic images to the point where readers feels themselves peeking from behind a tree, or through a doorway, or under a window, just observing the events of the Grahams as their lives unfold on the pages of her novel. Her great prowess is creating drama, intrigue, terror, and elation to perfection. I cannot imagine a reader not being caught up in the excitement of her novels. I know just a handful of authors who can accomplish this, and I admire them all. It is a gift to have the art of writing such prose.

I have read many series by other authors, and when their series have come to an end I have felt that it was the right thing to do. I dread, however, the day that The Graham Saga comes to an end. I think I shall feel bereft. I have read all of the books in the series several times now, and cannot imagine not waiting for the next book to be released. Yes I am a great admirer of Anna Belfrage's work. Yes I will always recommend her books, and yes I shall miss the Grahams immensely when the saga comes to a close.

But in the meantime the Grahams have many more adventures to come. Visit Anna's blog to read more about them. There are also PDFs to download of back stories to go with the books that have already been published. Some of these have been done in such a way that it is as if Anna is interviewing Alex and Matthew. It's really quite enchanting.

There is a free copy of Serpents in the Garden on offer. To be in with a chance to win a copy all you have to do to go into the draw is leave a comment here on the blog or on our Facebook page.

Anna Belfrage can be found on her website here and on Facebook.

The other titles in The Graham Saga:
A Rip in the Veil
Like Chaff in the Wind
The Prodigal Son
A Newfound Land

The Best of the Review: Favorite Posts from the First Half Year (Volume IX)

Anchorage, Alaska: Tent City in the run up to Christmas 1916~~Lisl

(From the Great Land series)

Simon Stirling writes ...Where do you start?  There have been so many great posts, and such a variety, that I needed to narrow down my criteria if I was going to make a choice. I'm naturally drawn to nonfiction, and so one of Lisl's fascinating pieces about Alaska and its history was a must.  After plenty of umming and ahhing, I settled on her brilliantly illustrated post about Tent City (Anchorage) in the run up to Christmas 1916.

"No other part of the earth known to man surpasses
Alaska in imposing and beautiful scenery."--John Muir

The city of Anchorage, located in the Southcentral region of Alaska, lies within a bowl along the Cook Inlet and is overlooked by the Chugach mountains to the east. Although Russians had an established presence in the 19th century, Alaska Geographic notes settlements of the Dena'ina people, possibly as early as 500 AD (Volume 23, Number 1).

 The late Dena'ina elder Shem Pete remembered seeing the tents of Anchorage for the first time in 1914 (AG). The white tents had begun to spring up in response to talk--and later confirmation--of a western route selected for construction of a federal railroad from Seward, south of Anchorage on the Kenai (KEE-nigh) Peninsula, to the region of Alaska known as the Interior. This tent city was located under a bluff now known as Government Hill, and rested on land subject to siltation and vulnerable during earthquakes. By June of 1915, according to Michael Carberry quoted in AG, "more than 2,000 souls packed the short-lived settlement."

Though it was 1920 before Anchorage became incorporated, men looking for work didn't wait around to establish lives in their new location. After a short time it was determined that more women and families were needed and indeed they came. Conditions were harsh but life was conducted and the people of Anchorage wasted little time isolating themselves. The Pioneer-News (later Anchorage Daily Times) published its first issue in May of 1915. Perusals of the ADT's archives by late 1916 show a people who remembered their origins, but looked forward to the future and where they were then, which included living life as typically as they would anywhere else. Adverts are seen in the issues of the day for bowling alleys, pool parlors, cafes, hotels, barber shops, photo studios, furniture, sweets, banking, cigars, candies and fruits, auto service, lumber, druggists, packing companies, toys, books, periodicals, glassware and more. 

They also wished to keep up with goings-on in the world, especially as by this time the Great War was raging around the world. As Christmas 1916 approached the people of Anchorage lived a sort of dual life: attempting to maintain standards and create satisfying lives whilst simultaneously coping with hardship and bad news.

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The Strange Case of Mr Brodie and Mr Hyde~~Stuart Laing

(From the Edinburgh History series)

Edinburgh is a city which lends itself to notorious characters both real and fictional. From the body snatchers Burke and Hare to Inspector Rebus, all have trod on the cobbled streets of the Old Town, but one criminal from the 18th Century has been remembered with a pub, a play, a close (alley), a song and a film all named after him. His name? William Brodie.

Born the son of a well respected and much admired cabinet-maker young William followed in his father's footsteps and became a skilled cabinet-maker in his own right. With the death of his father William inherited not only the business but also a huge sum of money.

This sudden wealth allowed William to experience all those finer things in life which had previously eluded him and he quickly became firmly hooked on gambling, boozing and whoring his way through the best brothels, gambling clubs and pubs on the dark and dangerous streets of Edinburgh. All of this was unknown to those who continued to seek his services as both cabinet-maker and locksmith, and through the good name of his father he was eventually invited to become a member of Edinburgh Town Council which earned him the title of Deacon Brodie: the title by which he is best known today.

Unfortunately for the now Deacon Brodie, the inherited wealth was rapidly running out and with a string of mistresses and several illegitimate children to care for he was placed in a quandary of his own making. He could forego the High Life, knuckle down and make the best of a bad situation through hard work and frugality with the little money he had left, or he could seek an alternative means to maintain his wild lifestyle.

Unfortunately for the now Deacon Brodie, the inherited wealth was rapidly running out and with a string of mistresses and several illegitimate children to care for he was placed in a quandary of his own making. He could forego the High Life, knuckle down and make the best of a bad situation through hard work and frugality with the little money he had left, or he could seek an alternative means to maintain his wild lifestyle.

His skill at cabinet-making meant he was never short of work and added to his skill was his position and title which meant that the Great and Good of the town were only too happy to employ him in their own homes. Unknowingly they were inviting the devil in with their smiles and kind words. Brodie took full advantage of their trust to make copies of their house keys and spy out what was valuable and where it was to be found at a later date.

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The Best of The Review: Favorite Posts From the First Half Year (Volume VIII)

Sons of the Wolf~~Paula Lofting

It was truly so difficult to choose two--just two!!--entries for our favorite blog posts; there really were so many I loved--from books I liked the sound of and wanted to read, to reviews of works I might not otherwise have given a second look, but was drawn in by the reviewers' ability to get me to see new possibilities. In the end I decided to go with the ones that came to mind most fluidly and frequently when trying to decide on which constituted my favorites.

To that end I went first for Linda's review of Sons of the Wolf. I already had a close bond with this book, oddly enough one that before I read feared I would not enjoy. This pre-Conquest era is not one I remember much of from school and I was, I admit, a bit intimidated. In the end I not only loved the novel but grew to care about the characters and, as Linda writes, "Thankfully there is a sequel coming." I also loved Linda's descriptive review which also succinctly guides readers through the "how it came to be," and she does a fantastic job of it.

There is a village in pre-Norman Sussex called  Horstede which  has been invaded by a time traveler, or so it seems. I am tempted to speculate that not  even a member of Regia Anglorum like author Paula Lofting could create a story like Sons of the Wolf unless she had lived among them.  I suspect that in spirit, indeed she has.  Her novel  is the product of a writer who not only loves her subject and knows it well, but also knows her craft.  As I read the opening pages, I can smell the woodsmoke and feel the warmth of the greetings of the villagers as protagonist Wulfhere and his right hand man Esegar return from a bloodly battle as the opening curtain rises.  I remain a captive of the story until its final page, and best of all, beyond. Thankfully there is a sequel coming.

Any meticulously researched and authentically presented historical  novel set in a well known milieu faces the risk that devotion to historical truth  may become its own spoiler. Such is not the case with Sons of the Wolf. To avoid the common pitfall,  Lofting has masterfully selected two characters from the pages of Doomsday Book about whom little is known. The only references is to their names –Wulfhere and Helghi—and the amount of land they owned. Their respective societal ranks can be guessed from a notation as to the size of their respective estates. The balance is  Lofting’s creation.

Wulfhere is the thegn of Horstede and Helghi’s superior in rank. Helghi also  is a landowner but a tier below his rival. Their families have been fueding for years, and the conflict brings out the worst of each. Their  abiding hatred forges their destiny and contaminates others. Wulfhere is a  good man who seeks to do the right thing, but he does not always like it. Helghi is the consummate villain,  obsessed with bringing Wulfhere to his knees, and willingly sacrifices the future and the well-being of his family to do so.

When the historical character Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex and brother-in-law of King Edward seeks to reconcile Wulfhere and Helghi, he sets events in motion that make matters worse.
After I read the initial four chapters of the book I put it down, not because I did not like it, but because I was utterly unfamiliar with its historical context.  My intense study of British history is framed by the  Plantegenets on one end and the Marlboros on the other. What I knew of the Norman invasion could be  summarized in a  line  from the 1953 movie Young Bess.  Says adolescent  Elizabeth, "England has never been invaded, except by the Normans, who do not count because they were us."  What I knew of Anglo Saxon Britain would have scarcely filled a journal page. I  profited from  spending  a few minutes on Wikipedea,  and once I had a better understanding of what transpired in Britain in the years immediately prior to 1066, I was ready for a breathtaking, violent, fast and furious and often heart-rending ride through the years before the Normans came.

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The Witch Finder~~Blythe Gifford

Here Louise also snares me with her ability to capture the intrigue of a book, and I was interested in the topic as well. She takes us to a dangerous time and points to the author's skillful use of privileged position and dramatic words to draw us into the events and follow the players as they make their way through their own world. This book is the very next on my to-be-read list and I plan to reward myself with it at the end of the month when I make several deadlines. Books make fantastic rewards!!

“It’s October 1661, Scotland, the Borders – Hoofbeats woke her, sending her heart tripping fast as the horse, even without knowing who rode. Nothing good rode at night.”

These are the opening lines to a story that will take you into the realms of the witch finder.

The horrors of not being able to make someone believe that you are innocent, when those around you see you as guilty. Blythe Gifford cleverly draws the reader into the story, pitting the searcher against the searched.

The opening lines of a book, for me, are very important. They have to set the scene, hook me in, and make me want to turn the page. Blythe Gifford’s The Witch Finder does that for me. It is not a book that I would instinctively choose, but the cover intrigued me. First of all it has a teaser – “He’s a haunted man. She’s a hunted woman.” The title of the book overlays the picture in a bright yellow font that catches the eye; encouraging the reader to view the picture that sits behind it; a woman cloaked in black. So, being naturally curious, I had to read it. 

Margaret is our protagonist, hiding her mother who has been sent mad through interrogation in Edinburgh by the witch finder called Scobie.  They are living in a small, remote, barely furnished cottage out along the road from the village of Kirktoun. Here she could keep her mother safe and away from prying eyes and questions. Blythe has the reader feeling sympathetic towards both Margaret and her mother from the outset. We feel her panic as the witch pricker comes riding past her home. Will Margaret’s mother be found? Will Margaret be accused of being a witch? Nail-biting moments carry the reader page by page. We are taken into the realms of interrogation, and the bitter futility of declaring innocence.

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The Best of The Review: Favorite Posts From the First Half Year (Volume VII)

Captain Burnet Rises to the Challenge~~

Jayne adds in today that she chose this post because it involves Edinburgh, her favorite British city. 

The history of Edinburgh's Town Guard stretches over almost 270 years and was marked by several highs and lows. Like all groups it served as home to the honourable and the villain in probably equal measure, although it is mainly the villains who are generally remembered (Captain Porteous for example). But today my attention is focused on the last man to hold the office of captain of the Guard: James Burnet.

Captain James Burnet

By day Burnet ran a grocer's shop at the head of Fleshmarket Close but when on duty he struck an imposing figure in his redcoat and white britches, weighing in at the impressive weight of 19 stone (270 pounds) and unlike many of his predecessors was not a military man. He was, despite his large size, a most active fellow who far preferred to spend his Sunday mornings walking near and far rather than squeezing his body into the confines of a pew for divine service. In Chambers Journal it is alluded that Captain Burnet was one of the Turners, so named from their habit of taking a turn (a stroll) on the Sabbath.  “About One O'clock,” reports the Journal, “Mr J. L might be seen cooling it through Straiton at the head of a slow procession of bellied men, his hat and wig held aloft on his cane and a myriad of flies buzzing and humming behind his shining pow. Perhaps Captain B(urnet) of the City Guard is of the set. He has a brother at Woodhouselee and they intend to call there and be treated to a glass of spirits and water for really the day is very warm.”

Captain Burnet was also a well-known member of the Lawnmarket Club, one of dozens of gentlemen's clubs which abounded in Edinburgh over the centuries. The Lawnmarket Club is described in Chambers' Traditions of Edinburgh to be a set of dram drinking, gossip mongering facetious group of men who meet each morning about seven o'clock by the post office to learn all the latest news and then retire to a nearby tavern for a refreshing glass of brandy.

Captain Burnet, it should be said, was not known to join in this early morning debauch and was more interested in learning the latest news and political machinations than anything else. However these early morning starts and regular walks ensured that the gallant captain was an active sort of fellow who was ever ready to face any challenge. And it was for this that we celebrate his memory today. 

A challenge was presented to him by a certain James Laing, Deputy City Clerk, who said that it would be impossible for Captain Burnet to climb from the King's Park to the top of Arthur's Seat in less than fifteen minutes. Those who are familiar with the great mass of grass and stone at the foot of the Royal Mile will understand that this is no mean feat for even the fittest and youngest of us to undertake, never mind a middle-aged man of huge proportions. Burnet, of course, at once accepted the wager.

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Marsha's Special Feature: An Interview with Bestselling Author Elizabeth Chadwick 

More favorites! Elizabeth Chadwick, Jayne declares, is one of her favorite authors. (And who doesn't love a great interview?)

I am honored to welcome bestselling historical fiction author, Elizabeth Chadwick.  Elizabeth was kind enough to answer a few questions about her writing, research, favorite authors, and much more. The first book I read by Elizabeth was The Greatest Knight, a novel about the extraordinary knight, William Marshal. Thus began my love affair with the Marshal and his sire, John FitzGiIbert. FitzGilbert's exciting life is told in Elizabeth's wonderful book, A Place Beyond Courage. The research and authenticity that Elizabeth puts into each book is amazing, which is one of the reasons she is often my go-to author when I want a brilliant read. Having just finished Elizabeth's newest book, The Summer Queen, a tale about Queen Alienor of Aquitaine, I am anxiously awaiting the second book of the trilogy coming soon, The Winter Crown.

 Hello, Elizabeth, and thank you for agreeing to answer a few questions.

Q: Have you written any other novels in collaboration with other writers? 

No, it’s always my own work.  I have adapted a film script though. I was asked by Columbia Pictures to adapt the script from First Knight starring Sean Connery and Richard Gere and turn it into a novel as part of their marketing process for the film.  Daughters of the Grail started life as a one page film treatment, but I had to provide the main story and work it up into a novel.  The film never got made – as is the way with these things so many times.  But the above are the nearest I have ever come to working with anyone else.

Q: How much research do you do? 

How long is a piece of string!  I began researching when I was 15 when I started to write my first novel about a character in the Holy Land. I knew very little about the 12th century Middle East and I wanted my book to feel as real as possible, so I immersed myself in the research to world build the stage on which my hero and heroine were going to interact. In the story they return to life in the Angevin Empire under Henry II, so I had to research the European aspect as well.  I was never, ever as diligent about the WWII history homework being handed out at school at that time! 

 I am never not reading about my historical period.  As well as the need to know material, just browsing the era for fun is tremendously rewarding and deepens my knowledge. If you are going to write about 12th century people then you owe it to them, your readers and yourself to make them as of their time as possible.  My research is in depth and inter-disciplinary.  So I read primary sources, secondary sources, archaeology reports, I visit locations where possible and I also re-enact with a living history society to get a feel for the period.  I use online research as well, but you have to be careful.  There are some fantastic resources out there but also a lot that give out unreliable information.  You need a kind of ‘garbage radar’ to keep you safe online!

Q: Do you ever get any ideas about something to write by photos you have, or 
places you remember?

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