Diana talks to historical author Louise Wyatt about her forthcoming book, Secret Hayes.

Hi Louise. Good to talk with you.

Before we start, you have some exciting news to share. Can you tell me about it?

I am very excited to be doing another book for Amberley’s Secret series, this time for Chepstow in Monmouthshire. A lot of historical fans will know this town because of its’ castle and links to the famous William Marshal but I want to go further than that, discover the not-so-well-known characters and explore buildings other than the castle. I expect to be spending many winter weekends in the museum and library, no hardship really!

I have also been commissioned by Amberley to write a book on The History of Nursing. As a lot of people know, I am a District Nursing Sister by day so this one is close to my heart. Only have a blurred outline of this one at the moment – the origins of nursing, how nursing went from herbal remedies and folklore to the degree-standard we have today and who made nursing what it is. I want to get past Florence Nightingale and explore the unknowns.

Both due for publication next year.

I am sure there is a question that you have always longed to be asked. Now is the chance. Ask your own question and answer it! Erm …

If your latest book, Secret Hayes,

was adapted into a TV show or a film, who would you like to play the lead role? Tom Hardy could play anything in my humble opinion!

What made you choose this genre? To state a cliché, it chose me. I’ve wrote short, humorous stories, attempted breath-taking historical novels (and failed), windswept romances and contemporary tales and enjoyed most of it, albeit with no success! I did have a couple of short stories published online many moons ago (now lost in the ether) with good feedback but I never, in a million years, attempted historical non-fiction. And bingo, that’s the genre that caught a publisher’s eye so I’m not complaining. What was a hobby innocently detailed on a blog has turned into a delightfully professional task.

If, as a one off, (and you could guarantee publication!) you could write anything you wanted, is there another genre you would love to work with and do you already have a budding plot line in mind? A time-slip mystery. I do indeed have an idea, based on good old family history; I have a very naughty ancestor who was shipped off to Australia back in the day. But reading what I have about his crime, the era he lived in, the trade he had to deal with has really upset and annoyed me – was so unfair back then - so I’m hoping to give him his five minutes of fame at some point.

Was becoming a writer a conscious decision or something that you drifted into (or even something so compelling that it could not be denied?) How old were you when you first started to write seriously. I’ve been asked this before and it always stumps me a bit as I have always written stories/poems so it seems a natural progression to me. I guess compelling would describe it – I can remember words being very enjoyable at school; I’m going back to when I started school so about five years old? I learned to read and quite literally, absorbed the books so quickly the teacher ran out of books for that class. I just ‘got’ words! I could make them dance over the page, feeding my rather independent imagination so stories were just natural to me. I remember, when I was in primary school, we had to say what our hobbies were. I got some odd looks when I said reading and writing as I thought most people liked sitting at home concocting stories of all descriptions! Turns out they didn’t. So I wrote for school, for fun and occasionally, for competitions (and yes, I won a couple!). I can honestly say I’ve wrote seriously since I was very, very young. I recently found some of those stories in the loft; made me smile.

Numbers on the other hand …

Marmite? Love it or hate it? I don’t hate it but don’t love it so I’ll go with like-it-when-in-the-mood

Do you have any rituals and routines when writing? Your favourite cup for example or ‘that’ piece of music...?? Not really … I can write with the tele or radio on, I don’t like silence. I love pencils (no idea why) so will start with a good old fashioned pad and pencil – I categorically do not trust to have all my hard work purely stored on a p.c!

I’m most definitely an early-to-bed-early-to-rise kinda gal but weirdly, my brain seems to come alive creatively last thing at night so yes, I do have a pad by my bed; I seem to think of words I don’t normally use when I’m most tired!

I promise I won’t tell them the answer to this, but when you are writing, who is more important, your family or your characters? Characters, without a doubt …

Other than writing full time, what would be your dream job? To run an Animal/wildlife rescue sanctuary

Coffee or tea? Red or white? Tea and I’m tee-total
How much of your work is planned before you start? Do you have a full draft or let it find its way? I usually have a very loose draft floating around – that’s where my pencil and pad come in. Once I get typing and the creative juices kick in, I let it take its course. One thing I’m finding writing my non-fiction book, is the way it seems to flow naturally; I just have to hone it every now and then. Best feeling in the world when it takes on a life of its own.

If you had free choice over the font your book is printed in, what font/fonts would you choose? Comic Sans! May become a bit tiresome but I think it’s a fun font. Is that sad?

Imagine that you could get hold of any original source document. What would it be? Oh my, that’s a tough one … I guess anything historical and the older the better; I would much prefer to have a diary of a normal, everyday person from the Anglo-Saxon period than anything royal, for example. I’ve recently purchased my first ‘old’ book – a first edition tome written by a historian that lived in the area I’m writing about. It’s from 1874 and in my opinion is quite young in the grand scheme of things but holding (and sniffing!) a book that is 143 years old is something else … I was almost too scared to handle it to begin with.

Have any of your characters ever shocked you and gone off on their own adventure leaving you scratching your head??? If so how did you cope with that!? I’m a firm believer in fact being much more stranger than fiction!

How much research do you do and do you ever go on research trips? I’m doing loads. I’m finding my time a university has helped with academic writing which I found much harder to begin with – there is no letting your imagination run riot. I honestly don’t know what I would do without the internet! I look for links within links online, names to Google and have learned to be patient as that one piece of information you’re looking for is embedded on page four or five of Google Search amongst the really random stuff! I still enjoy reference books – I seem to have a habit of falling into bookshops quite often and buy books that ‘may’ come in handy …

I do go on trips when time – and day job – allow. That’s how my Blog started off; we would go for walks and I’d stumble on old ruins, or a place with a strange name. My interest would peak and I would then just google it and would come up with so much interesting info I felt compelled to write about it. Writing non-fiction has triggered off an interest in etymology.

Fiction authors have to contend with real characters invading our stories. Are there any ‘real’ characters you have been tempted to prematurely kill off or ignore because you just don’t like them or they spoil the plot? Not really relevant for me at the moment I guess but I would never kill off a real character; I would write around them.
Are you prepared to go away from the known facts for the sake of the story and if so how do you get around this? Nope, never. Absolutely not.

Do you find that the lines between fact and fiction sometimes become blurred? Yes, especially when I don’t use my reading glasses. ((I laughed out loud. D. ))

Sorry! In all seriousness, yes, I do. Research wise, the older the story, the more ‘chinese whispers’ you have to deal with – what actually happened to what people interpreted has happened over the years.

What do you enjoy reading for pleasure? Historical fiction has always been my first love but over the past few years, I discovered crime/thrillers. It was quite refreshing reading something in the modern day. I also enjoy occasionally interspersing all this seriousness with some light-hearted tale – I think the cynical call it chick-lit!

What drink would you recommend drinking whilst reading your latest book? I always have water to hand but enjoy normal coke – yes, the proper coke everyone warns you about! I can’t drink diet drinks as the sweeteners affect my stomach and they taste rubbish anyway … ((A person after my own heart!! D))

Last but not least... favourite author? Oh, that’s a cruel question! I will go with what’s on my Keeper Shelf and ignore the historical faves sooooo … I’m afraid there are two. Christine Marion Fraser who wrote fiction about life and people on a Scottish Island; so absorbing and I can still remember smelling the flora and fauna she described on a windswept summer’s day. The other is Marian Keyes; a fabulous, heartwarming writer whose humorous take on everyday life tackles real problems and people struggling with personal disasters. Her play on words is fabulous.
About ''Secret Hayes'':

The town of Hayes, located in west London, has had a long and intriguing past. The area today is made up of what was originally five separate villages (Botwell, Hayes Town, Hayes End, Wood End, and Yeading). Historically in Middlesex, it became part of the London Borough of Hillingdon in 1965, but has a history that stretches back over a thousand years. Secret Hayes covers a wealth of topics about Hayes’ past, from its origins to being the home of both EMI and George Orwell. The book will be released on 15th December and is available to preorder from Amazon and Amberley .

About the author:

Louise realised her love of words and all things written when, at the tender age of five, she began devouring Ladybird books faster than her teacher could supply them. After winning various writing and poetry competitions throughout school, she ended up having her family then training to be a nurse, but always wrote for pleasure. Louise started a blog five years ago for her love of history and soon discovered she enjoyed unearthing little-known facts about certain areas. Over the past few years, Louise has become a book reviewer and proof reader, and is still enjoying the magic of words.

© Diana Milne January 2017 © Louise Wyatt 28/05/17

Heroines of the Medieval World, by Sharon Bennett Connolly: a blog and review by guest blogger Karrie Stone.

Today I welcome guest blogger Karrie Stone to The Review Blog. At The Review we have all been waiting anxiously for today, 15th September 2017, the day that sees the release of the Review's very own Sharon Bennett Connolly's book Heroines of the Medieval World, a master piece of short biographies of the long overlooked women who altered the course of history.

*

There is deep deep truth in the quote within Sharon Bennett Connolly's book where it says:

'Heroines come in many forms and it is no less true for medieval heroines'.

The difference then, as opposed to now, is the strict limitations put upon them by the male of the species, be it King, Father, Brother, Husband or a combination of those; the religious guidelines on how women were perceived and should behave was often laid down by Priests too.

Bearing in mind these were Monks and that their perception of womanhood in its 'purest form ' was somewhat askew when placed next to a living breathing intelligent woman, one cannot as a 21st century woman, begin to conceive or imagine the determination required to be seen and heard as a valuable human being not just a chattel .

It is true too, that when reading history, it is often written by the victor ...'To The Victor The Spoils' springs to mind , but for women it was also not really deemed necessary or that relevant to write about their achievements in detail even if a Queen. Certainly to write about their true personality, needs, mores, fears , etc was not relevant or so it seems to us now.

Regardless , women were for procreating, furthering the lineage, be it high or low, for making sure that the home was indeed their lords castle even if a farm or hovel and to be run smoothly.

However ,we do it seems, have more written information on the Nobility than we do on women further down the scale in class or status within that time....Or at least that's how it appears until one truly starts to delve as Sharon has.

When Sharon Bennett Connolly first begun her blog 'History - The Interesting Bits' I was immediately hooked by the women she wrote about , true there were the more famous or infamous ones such as the indomitable Eleanor of Aquitaine who introduced so much into the culture and running of not just her homeland but also Britain. She was a force of nature in a man's world .

But Sharon's quest has been to unearth with painstaking research the lesser known women. Lesser known but no less important to history. For history helps shape the world.

Maude de Braose who spoke out against the ubiquitous King John, I was slightly more aware of , but with Maude, Sharon has filled in the blanks effortlessly.

This book's Chapters are beautifully set out to lead us through the variations of the perception of a Medieval Heroine.

We have the Religious, the Scandalous, The Mistress, Disinherited, Pawns, Captive, Warriors, Rulers, Literary and one of my personal favourites, The Survivors.

One such for me is Anne of Stafford, granddaughter of Edward lll and Phillippa of Hainault, daughter to their son, Thomas of Woodstock . She had the most incredible twists and turns in her life which was seemingly a sort of footnote to history. She was married at age eight or nine to Thomas Earl of Stafford who was fifteen years her senior, then, after his death,  married to his younger brother Edmund at age nineteen.

Her father Thomas was arrested personally by the King Richard ll, only to die in captivity not long after. Possibly smothered. Thus began further losses of the family fortune, then the death of her mother Eleanor de Bohun and her unmarried sister Joan. Anne's only surviving sister Isabel took the veil and ultimately therefore Anne became the greatest heiress of the Kingdom at that time.

I could go on but this is Sharon's book and there is no doubt in my mind that once you pick this up you won't be able to stop reading about these women until the last chapter. Truth is definitely stranger and more fascinating than fiction within these lives.

Sharon has a wonderful way of writing, it appears effortless, easy and utterly fascinating.

I've been a staunch fan of history for all my life but Sharon has, in my humble opinion, truly reached the core of what really was the backbone and making , even in the seemingly quiet lives of these many ladies, of Medieval Times.

It is a book well overdue. Her research is thorough and painstaking. She took time to truly explore where these women lived where possible and the photographs are a beautiful adornment to this book.

Thank you Sharon I've learnt a lot about women I knew nothing of, gained so much insight.

So as they say dear reader, it's your turn to pick up this book, settle in and read on.

*

If you wish to read the Diana talks interview with Sharon, you can find it here
Diana talks to Sharon Bennett Connolly

*

About Sharon Bennett Connolly:

Sharon Bennett Connolly, has been fascinated by history for over 30 years now. She has studied history academically and just for fun – and even worked as a tour guide at historical sites, including Conisbrough Castle.

Born in Yorkshire, she studied at University in Northampton before working in Customer Service roles at Disneyland in Paris and Eurostar in London.

She is now having great fun, passing on her love of the past to her son, hunting dragons through Medieval castles or exploring the hidden alcoves of Tudor Manor Houses. 

For Christmas 2014, her husband gave her a blog as a gift – History ... the Interesting Bits , allowing her to indulge in that love of history. Sharon started researching and writing about the lesser-known stories and people from European history, the stories that have always fascinated. Quite by accident, she started focusing on medieval women. And in 2016 she was given the opportunity to write her first non-fiction book, Heroines of the Medieval World, which was published by Amberley in September 2017. She is currently working on her second non-fiction book, Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest, which will be published by Amberley in late 2018

Regarding the new book,  'Silk and the Sword' ...

Thank you Sharon Bennett Connolly and Karrie Stone 

Diana talks to ... Sharon Bennett Connolly

Hi Sharon, we have known each other for ages but have never really talked about your work. I was delighted that Amberley asked you to write this book about Mediaeval Heroines. After following your blog, History - the Interesting Bits, I know they could not have chosen a better person to champion the lesser known women of this time.

If your latest book Heroines of the Medieval World was adapted into a TV show or a film, who would you like to play the lead role?

I guess it would be a documentary, so maybe Judy Dench presenting my Medieval Heroines? Or Helen Mirren. Dr Janina Ramirez would be fabulous – she’s so enthusiastic. And it would be nice to do something with Amy Licence - maybe she and I could co-present (I can dream). Although, having said that, Amy has a much better voice for television than me – I’ll probably just stand in the background trying to look intelligent.

If, as a one off, (and you could guarantee publication!)  you could write anything you wanted, is there another genre you would love to work with and do you already have a budding plot line in mind?

I would love to write a novel; I do have one in mind. Set in the 5/6^th century, based on Ambrosius Aurelianus as King Arthur and set in my ‘home’ castle at Conisbrough. But we’ll have to see how I go. Maybe once ‘Heroines’ is published….

Do you have any rituals and routines when writing? Your favourite cup for example or ‘that’ piece of music...??

I can’t stand writing in total silence. I have to have the radio on – or something. If its music, it will be Bryan Adams or the Eagles. If it’s Radio then it tends to be Radio 2, but there has to be something in the background (even if it’s my son’s Xbox)

What is the worse book you have ever read? What made it unreadable for you?

I wouldn’t like to say - don’t want to upset anyone. I used to insist on reading books to the end – even ones I didn’t find enjoyable. But these days I’ve decided there are too many books and so little time, so now if a book doesn’t keep me interested I stop reading. The last one was a story about Lancelot which had too many Arthurian inaccuracies for me to find it believable and the plot was too linear, you always knew what was going to happen next.

Other than writing full time, what would be your dream job?

Owning and managing a castle – not just being a tour guide, but organising hands-on events, and ‘living in the medieval era’ weekends (although I think I would still want electricity, hot water and a working shower). I’ve got a feeling my son would love giving the guided tours too – he would certainly love living in a castle (as long as it has a resident dragon). My husband would probably be happy with it, but only if there is fibre broadband.

Coffee or tea? Red or white?

Black coffee, white wine.

If you had free choice over the font your book is printed in, what font/fonts would you choose?

I like the simple fonts like calibri, but it would be interesting to read a book in an old-fashioned, italic font, just once in a while, wouldn’t it?

Imagine that you could get hold of any original source document. What would it be?

A confession from whoever killed – or ordered the deaths of – the Princes in the Tower. And an explanation of how it was done. Even if it turned out to be Richard III – it would stop most of the arguments on Facebook in an instant…. Or would it?  (No. They would still argue and (ahem) he would get bail!!)

Are you prepared to go away from the known facts for the sake of the story and if so how do you get around this?

I can’t do this with non-fiction, but I do have problems where we don’t know the actual facts, or a source was writing with an agenda, and I have to present all the theories and then choose the one that I think most likely and explain why.

Do you find that the lines between fact and fiction sometimes become blurred?

Because I’m writing a non-fiction book you would expect not, wouldn’t you? But there are instances when you find that the facts are, in fact, different to the accepted ones; that a historical person’s character has been changed or exaggerated by the chroniclers. I think this happens a lot with women, especially when the chroniclers tended to be men – and monks at that! Many didn’t like women and blamed them for the ills of the world.

Have you ever totally hated or fallen in love with one of your characters?

I find some of my Heroines more sympathetic than others, but I am trying to keep an open mind about all of them. I think they all deserve their stories telling in a sensitive light. The 2 that stick in my mind are Katherine Swynford and Alice Perrers; they were contemporaries and yet Katherine’s story is seen as true love and Alice is vilified as self-seeking and money-grabbing.

What do you enjoy reading for pleasure?

Historical fiction – Bernard Cornwell is my all-time favourite, but I have discovered some fabulous authors in recent years; Paula Lofting, Derek Birks, Toby Clements. I also love archaeological thrillers like Andy McDermott and David Gibbons, combining history and action.

What drink would you recommend drinking whilst reading your latest book?

Ooh, I don’t know. I think you’ll probably need to keep a clear head while reading it, so a nice cappuccino and a slice of cake would probably be the ideal refreshement.

Last but not least... favourite historical author?

Bernard Cornwell for fiction, I’ve been a fan of his books since I was 12 and love the fact he releases one every year, just in time for my birthday. The hubby ALWAYS knows what present to get.

I like Amy Licence for non-fiction – she writes in such an accessible way, almost as if she’s sat talking to you in your living room.

 Bio: Sharon has been fascinated by history for over 30 years. She has studied history as part of her Class 2:1 BA (Hons) Combined Degree and has also worked as a tour guide at historical sites.

She has been writing a blog entitled ‘History… the Interesting Bits’ for almost two years and is currently writing a book entitled ‘Heroines of the Medieval World’ which is due for release in 2017, concentrating on the lesser known – but no less significant women and their contributions to medieval history.

© Diana Milne July 2016 © (Sharon Bennett Connolly, August 2016)