Michelle Styles: Roman and Viking buried treasure

Treasure remains in Britain’s earth. 

So far over the past week or so, I have learned about the Galloway or Dumfriesshire hoard and the 25 tablets which were just dug up at Vindolanda.

Gold bird pin from Galloway hoard wikipedia

The Galloway hoard was dug up in 2014 but the National Museums of Scotland needs to raise £1.98 million to save the hoard for the nation and so have made a public appeal for the funds. The hoard compromises more than 100 objects, many probably looted from churches. It appears to be buried by Vikings in the early 10 century (900’s) and also includes silk textiles from Byzantium and several large and exotic seeds (why they were buried is anyone’s guess!). It offers a glimpse in the Scottish Viking experience.

As my current Harlequin Historicals explore some of the Vikings in Scotland learning about the hoard was thoroughly fascinating. However, the objects do need to be studied and analysed. So even after 18 months or so, we are at the very early stages of understanding the how and why. Apparently some of the less valuable objects were buried above  the large silver pot which contained the most valuable items – sort of an insurance measure but the owner never returned to claim it. There is certainly a story or three there. It is currently the largest Viking hoard to have been discovered in the British Isles.

The whole Viking experience in the British Isles is intriguing. The Vikings are there when Scotland becomes one kingdom.  The word Galloway comes from the word meaning half Gaelic, half-Norse. It is a part of Scotland which was linguistically and culturally Norse during this period. The Vikings were not just raiding, they were living and working. However because they were not really a literate people, they did not leave many writings behind and finding these sorts of hoards can give insight into the every day workings from that period. And it is entirely possible that there are more about, but mostly metal dectorists only find ring pulls…

Then a few days ago Vindolanda which is a few miles from Hadrian’s Wall (and reasonably close to where I live) announced they had found25 more tablets on 22 June 2017. Earlier tablets were pronounced Britain's most valuable treasure some years ago so it is really exciting that they have found more. Some of these new tablets are so well preserved that they could be read straight away (without having to do the usual infrared technology). 

One tablet is from a soldier called Masclus who wrote to his commanding officer requesting leave. He is already known because a previously discovered tablet had him requesting more beer. It is possible once these tablets are properly deciphered, other names will turn up. But these letters which are about the size of a postcard are truly windows into the past. The excavations at Vindolanda are going and they have recently secured more funding so that various bits of wood (including Roman toilet seats) can be displayed.
I think it is terribly exciting that new things are being dug up and we are learning more about the past and the people who live there.

In other news:

I have finished revising my latest Harlequin Historical The Warrior’s Viking Bride. It has been titled but not scheduled. Set in Scotland at the end of the ninth century, it is about a Viking Shield Maiden and the Celtic Warrior who has to forcibly return her to her estranged father. It is always good when a story works and even more exciting when it  is sold. The hero appeared as a secondary character in Sold to the Viking Warrior. 

Michelle Styles writes witty, warm and intimate historical romance in a wide range of time periods including Viking. Her latest Sold to the Viking Warrior was published in February 2017. You can learn more about Michelle and her books on www.michellestyles.co.uk 

Christina Hollis: Miriam Daniell—No Angel In The House...

Miriam went from having friends like these...

Until I started researching women's lives in nineteenth century Bristol, I thought Victorian life was dull, and without any sort of excitement. Miriam Daniell shows there are exceptions to every rule.

Born Miriam Wheeler in 1860, she was the daughter of a grocer from Northampton. The family moved to Bristol to import tea. Miriam's father became treasurer of a Congregational chapel in the fashionable Bristol suburb.of Clifton. The Wheeler family was conventional, and religious. Their children were educated by a governess brought from Zurich, and Mr Wheeler's networking in chapel circles eventually led to Miriam marrying Edward Daniell, a solicitor.

 Both Miriam and her husband were keen artists. Her work was more highly praised than his when they both submitted paintings to the Bristol Academy Fine Arts Exhibition of 1884.  Miriam's talent brought her into contact with the Stacy family, who were important figures in the Bristol Art circles. Bristol was alight with political debate at the time, and the writing of American socialist Laurence Grönlund convinced Miriam she should join the fight to end class inequality, and work toward the social and cultural emancipation of women. 

In 1886 Miriam underwent an operation. The reason is unknown, but newspaper coverage of the Daniell’s eventual divorce in 1894 suggests salaciously that from the time of the procedure the Daniells stopped sleeping together, on medical advice.  In 1888 Miriam joined the Bristol Women’s Liberal Association. Around this time she  met Helena Hope, who lived not far away in the same fashionable area of Bristol. The two women were the perfect illustration of opposites attracting. The highly-strung, rebellious Miriam was complemented by the steady, warmhearted and level-headed Helena. While Helena took inspiration from the work of the famous thinker and philanthropist John Ruskin, Miriam wanted to absorb knowledge directly from the lives of ordinary working people. They both came to the conclusion it was the exploitation of labour that made working people losing heart.

...to friends like this.

Helena and Miriam’s study of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden made them increasingly dissatisfied with Clifton life.  They  became vegetarians. That was an act of rebellion as shocking in their social circle at the time as living naked in the woods would be today.  

In 1888, the Bristol Sunday Society was formed as a focus for discussion on science and literature. The following year, Miriam was elected onto the committee—the only woman. On March 8th 1889,  a combination of melting snow and heavy rain  flooded the poverty-stricken low lying areas of Bristol. Victims were stranded in the upper storeys of buildings, reliant on the police to deliver bread and water by rowing boat.

Miriam swung into action, issuing an appeal for donations in the local newspaper. She turned her genteel home into a collection point. Miriam and Helena's  work with the flood victims exposed them to the desperate circumstances of the city’s poor and underprivileged. Through her work in politics, Miriam met Robert Nicol.  Robert was a one-time Edinburg medical student turned socialist who became secretary of the militant Gas Workers and General Labourers' Union.

In the autumn of 1889, Miriam, Helena, Robert and others formed a strike committee in response to an outbreak of industrial action in Bristol's factories. When Miriam's husband tried to stop her publishing stories of poor treatment of factory girls, she left him and her beautiful home. Together with Robert and Helena, Miriam went to live in a cottage in one of the poorest parts of Bristol. Not long after, Miriam discovered she was pregnant with Robert Nicol's baby. 

In August 1890, Miriam fled with Robert and Helena to Boston, USA. There, they “declared their free love union” had a daughter, Sunrise. That was shocking enough, but when Miriam’s husband petitioned for divorce it meant her reputation was ruined forever in the eyes of Victorian society. 

That's quite an impressive record for a time when women were supposed to be The Angel In The House!

Christina Hollis writes contemporary fiction starring complex men and independent women. She has written six historical novels, eighteen contemporary novels, sold nearly three million books, and her work has been translated into twenty different languages. When she isn’t writing, Christina is cooking, walking her dog, or beekeeping.

You can catch up with her at http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.com, on Twitter, Facebook, and see a full list of her published books at christinahollis.com

Her current release, Heart Of A Hostage, is published by The Wild Rose Press and available at myBook.to/HeartOfAHostage  worldwide.

A Year of Learning – Donna Alward

This year has been a year of learning.

I’m one of those people who loved it when a new school year started. The smell of fresh paper and pens…new textbooks, trying to make my handwriting neat as I organized my class notes. These days my learning is less structured, and very different, but at the end of the day I feel energized, like I’ve expanded my brain somehow. There’s a sense of accomplishment with learning that sometimes isn’t quantifiable in data or dollars and cents (but hopefully, since most of my learning is about my business, it does translate a little!).

I’ve been reading a lot of non-fiction books, which have helped me understand myself, my working process, and publishing better. Since January I’ve read Show Your Work by Austin Kleon, Approval Junkie by Faith Salie, Deep Work by Cal Newport, and Become a Fearless Writer by Nina Harrington. The six months before that I read The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson, Bird by Bird by Ann Lamott, and The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield.

Then there are the blogs and articles that I read each week – usually sent to me by my “inner circle” – Barb Wallace, Susan Meier, and Selena Blake. And let’s not forget the podcasts. Driving back and forth to my daughter’s university so she could come home for holidays meant a four hour drive by myself, usually listening to The Art of Charm sessions.

All of those things make me think and evaluate and focus my mind on my objectives, as well as understand why I think and work the way I do.

A lot of my learning has been “as I go”, too. Authors are small business owners as well as creators, and we can’t always afford to outsource. When I started writing I knew nothing about blogging, designing a website, running newsletters, social media wasn’t the giant it is now, and I certainly couldn’t design graphics. I’ve done all those things now, and I had to learn on my own. A lot was trial and error, and I get a lot of help from other authors, because that’s what we do. I do all that AND write books. There’s a reason why indie authors are confident: they’ve shown themselves that they can learn and self-start and be successful at it, all the while keeping a bigger royalty percentage. Romance authors have a certain level of confidence and versatility, and when it’s paired with the generosity inherent in the romance fiction industry, it really makes us empowered.

But there is always more to learn, and new challenges to be met. This year I’ve served as the RWA PAN Steering Committee Chair and the committee has worked to put together a really dynamic program. It was incredibly enlightening to work with members of the workshop committee as well as RWA staff to book speakers and find topics that provide high value to our members, whether they’ve published their first book or their hundredth. There were a few moments of frustration, lots of moments of excitement, and in the end, I feel like I learned a lot and understand much better what goes into planning an event of this size.

In a few weeks it’ll all be over for another year, but man, am I looking forward to sitting in on those sessions and figuring out ways to take my business to the next level.

www.donnaalward.com

New release: The Playboy Prince and the Nanny, SMP Swerve, August 1 

The chickens and the eggs - Kandy Shepherd

One of the simple pleasures of my life is eating newly laid eggs from our little flock of chickens. There is nothing quite like the taste. And the enjoyment is even greater knowing our “girls” live a happy, mostly free range life.

Beautiful eggs courtesy of my chickens

 We didn’t set out to keep chickens. In fact, had never had anything to do with them. When we bought our little farm in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, Australia the lovely woman we bought it from had chickens in a secure, custom-built chicken coop known in our valley as “the chicken Hilton”. We gladly inherited them.

The girls enjoy scraps from the kitchen and the garden

 The girls are Isa Browns a French breed of hen. They’re friendly, smart and lay lots of eggs. At the moment we have nine. The number varies as free range comes with risk of predators such as foxes, eagles, and (shudder) snakes. We lost two recently to eagles which was very sad. Otherwise they live until they “drop off the perch” from old age.

They're friendly and curious

 Because the girls are so prolific we enjoy eggs cooked every way—my favorite being simple soft boiled. Quiche, egg custards and meringue are often on the menu. My doctor says not to worry about outdated cholesterol scares and enjoy the health benefits of eating protein rich eggs. We certainly do.

Determined to share Howard the horse's food

 I love all our animals but have a special fondness for our chickens for providing us with eggs. When I collect the eggs, I always thank the girls for their wonderful gifts.

I haven’t written a chicken-keeping heroine into a story yet, but who knows when I might. Have you ever had anything to do with chickens? Or done something you never expected you’d do? I’d love to read your comments!

My most recent book Conveniently Wed to the Greek is a May 2017 release from Harlequin Romance in North America; Mills & Boon Cherish in the UK; and Mills & Boon Forever Romance in Australia and New Zealand.

Kandy Shepherd is a multi-published, award-winning author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. She lives on a small farm in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, Australia, with her family and a menagerie of four-legged friends.

Visit Kandy at her website www.kandyshepherd.com

Connect with Kandy on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram

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The magic begins...

For every book there is a moment when the magic begins.

I'm working on a duet with the uber-talented Kate Hardy and much fun has been had putting our heads together, discussing ideas, locations, who our two heroines will be.

We've given them histories. They have an 18th century French smuggler, Henri Prideaux, as an  ancestor, which accounts for their French names - Agnés and Fleur Prideaux - and a castle with a leaking roof to live in. Priddy Csstle is in the south west corner of the UK - Dorset, Devon, Cornwall - and that's how the locals (way back in the 18th century) said Prideaux.

We've drawn up timelines, given them back stories, found them heroes, men with an agenda, men who will infuriate them, raise memories that will bring tears to their eyes, make them weak at the knees. Check them out on my Pinterest board.

We've given them dogs to love.  This is Dora, who belongs to Agnés. A grandmother they adore. A ton of responsibilities. And looming disaster.

That's all the stuff in notebooks, printouts pinned to my cork board, ideas swirling around in my head.

Now I have to stop playing with ideas, having fun on Pinterest, asking the questions that start the journey.

The fun is over. It's time to open up my document, type Chapter One and spin gold out of straw.


* * *

Liz's latest book, Her Pregnancy Bombshell is available in paper and digital from

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon Australia
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Mills and Boon UK
Harlequin US

 

Nicole Locke - Letting My Heart Grow Three Sizes

There’s so many things I can talk about today. How I’m a UK and a US citizen. How life is different in each country I call home. And, as I read the news, how I worry and am prideful of both countries. Maybe on a lighter note, I could talk about the etiquette of celebrating when one home country declared war against your other home country.

But in the scheme of all this, I really want to talk about my home, my household, and how I ruined July 4th and Christmas with one sentence.

Because though I should talk about my countries, this is how I originally started my post:

Yep. It’s July, and most of us are outside soaking in the sunshine. I’m visiting family and the kids later today will be splashing in the pool. Right now, I’m enjoying a cup of tea while writing this post because it’s early and the house is quiet.

Bliss.

And yet, I don’t want to be the voice of doom, but this year is half over. And I pointed that brutally out to the children right before we left. As I’m frantically trying to take care of future dental appts, and writing deadlines, and end of school events. As I’m still living in the house that cleaning products forgot, and where moving boxes are furniture.

Life’s a little busy, and the kids are strewing their stuff everywhere…on top of the stuff that was strewn last week, last month—last year. So I snapped, and in my firmest mom voice, I told them if they didn’t help around the house, there won’t be a Christmas tree.

This is how my brain works:  If I have to pick up my son’s dirty clothes off his floor, then my daughter’s Lego explosion in the living room, laundry, shopping, paperwork won’t get done. I won’t even mention dinner.

In other words, with my sentence, I invoked the reasoning behind the ‘trickle-down theory’. If it’s applicable to a country’s financial-crisis, why can’t it be applicable to a motherhood crisis?

After all, if I’m always behind, it makes sense that by Christmas it should only be worse. Sort of like Newman from Seinfeld with his speech ‘Because the mail never stops. It just keeps coming and coming. There’s never a let up, it’s relentless’, and the postman snaps.

Or the mother snaps and tells her kids there won’t be any Christmas right as they’re shouting in glee because they’re packing bathing costumes instead of cleaning their rooms.

They’re thinking swimming pools and sugar plums, and I’m The Grinch—in the Summertime—on Independence Day.  

Enough. My household can’t be any different than others. This madness has to be coming from me. It has to be because I’m not staying present; I’m not enjoying life now. And I know I’m not because I forgot it’s Independence Day until I wrote that sentence.

In my defence, this is our first Fourth of July in this country in 11 years, but that’s beside the point. I need to remember that the trickle-down theory didn’t work because random factors broke the economic chain from the rich to the poor. Poverty never ended.

So, I’ll let the joyfulness of this day break the chain of my madness, and I won’t be The Grinch on America’s birthday.

Instead I’ll make myself new as well, and let my heart grow three sizes as I join my kids in the pool. I’ll most definitely swirl sparklers in the night, eat hotdogs, and be proud. America’s made it this far, maybe I can, too.

And as for Britain? You’re my home, and always will be. And now that I have my priorities straight, I’ll go back to the start of this post and tell everyone that.

Nicole :-)

The Knight's Scarred Maiden releases in August! You can read the first chapter here: http://bit.ly/ExcerptHere.

Nicole Locke is the author of Harlequin Lovers and Legends series. For more information about her and her writing, check out her website and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest.

 

Susan Sands: Happy 4th of July and Cover Reveal!

A fellow writer and I are in pajamas at dusk in a resort forty-five minutes

Christmas, Alabama

from home on 4th of July weekend. Our kids are home with their fathers. Mine can take care of themselves because they are plenty old enough, but my friend has four children under the age of six, God bless her. Her husband is the man.

We got a great room rate through a friend of a friend (thanks, friend). We are desperately making words that will finish our books before deadline. Summer deadlines are the toughest, it seems. Everything in the summer is less structured and it's easier to disrupt the writing schedule.

I accepted an offer on my house after it was on the market for an entire year. The deal fell through due to the inspection report. That was a hit to the writing schedule. My dogs don't like when I sit and write for hours on end. They make their displeasure known by barking and misbehaving, causing writing-stoppage. Kids and husband. Well, they need clean underwear and food. No other explanation needed. So, here we are, making as many good words as possible while others eat bar-b-que and enjoy fireworks (my poor dogs hate fireworks).

If this post seems a little disjointed and frazzled, you should see me.

The great news is that I have a gorgeous cover for my lovely upcoming Christmas novel, Christmas, Alabama. As much a of mess as I am right now, I'm having a blast writing this story, which will be released by The Tule Publishing Group, October 5th (tentatively). I'm bringing all the characters from Ministry, Alabama together again for a snowy good time!

I hope everyone is enjoying summer so far!!

Susan Sands