Dear Ms. Noble, An egotistical hero doesn’t usually spark my interest. I didn’t need another narcissistic Prince Charming. Seen it all a million times, and my immediate reaction is: Meh. However, the success of an overused archetype is due to an author’s treatment of it. The way you painted Ned ... more >
Obituary – Mary Stewart – Romantic fiction legend Mary Stewart, whose work inspired novels in many genres, from historical Romance to Fantasy, has passed away. Unfortunately, this is the only obituary I could find online, and it requires a subscription to the times for a complete read. So if anyone ... more >
Dear Ms. Holland, I’ve come across your posts and comments online in the past and knew that your books are set in Edwardian England. Since I’m all for more historicals set in the 20th century, I decided to pick up An Ideal Duchess as an introduction to your writing. An ... more >
How true should historical fiction be? – An interesting piece from Stephanie Merritt, who argues that authors of historical fiction have no responsibility to make the history in their books authentic. At the same time, however, she indicates that for authors who do not know the actual history, changing the ... more >
Dear Ms. McVeigh, I was interested in The Fever Tree, your first work of historical fiction, partly because of this beautifully written excerpt at your site, partly because the Booklist review mentioned that it had a social justice angle (the novel is mainly set in late 19th century South Africa), ... more >
Dear Shona Patel: When this book appeared on Netgalley I was intrigued. I’m always looking for unusual historicals, and a book set in 1940s India certainly qualifies. Moreover, it is written by an author of Indian origin, telling the fictionalized story of her parents and larger family. That is more ... more >