Jariabek.com Archive
Galleon San Salvador in San Diego Maritime Museum

Researching Francis Drake’s Ship the Tiger

Historical naval fiction novel Sic Parvis Magna is set in the period of Francis Drake’s youth. There are no records, leaving me to speculate what his apprenticeship was like. In this research post, I explore the ship that he apprenticed on.

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The cover of historical fiction novel The Heretic Wind by Judith Arnopp

Historical Fiction Book Review: The Heretic Wind By Judith Arnopp

In The Heretic Wind, author Judith Arnopp introduces us to Mary Tudor, the daughter of Henry the VIII of England and Catherine of Aragon, and the first English Queen in her own right. The book is a fictionalized biography of Mary I (Mary Tudor, whom John Foxe dubs “Bloody” Mary). The historical character is easy to hate… which is why this book is so wonderful—as Arnopp puts us into Mary’s head, we discover…

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First Scene from Historical Fiction Novel Sic Parvis Magna, using Habeldier by Jacopo Pantoromo

Character Sketch of Francis Drake

The historical fiction novel Sic Parvis Magna introduces us to a very young Francis Drake—long before his pirate raids in the Caribbean, his circumnavigation of the world, Cadiz, the Spanish Armada, and the fame (or perhaps infamy) that those actions brought him. This character sketch is part of the research for the book. While I base it on history, this is not a historical retelling. I attempt to imagine Drake’s early formative experiences to understand what he may think and do, as well as why. I then incorporated this research to carry forward the story, both in the novel Sic Parvis Magna and the rest of the naval historical fiction series Adventures of Francis Drake. 

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Historical Naval Fiction of Paul Jariabek

Art in the Historical Fiction Short Story Retribution

A historical fiction book allows the reader to experience what it could have been like “back then.” Vivid descriptions are one way to start this experience for the reader. Theme-appropriate artwork is another. Read about the artwork in the historical fiction short story Retribution.

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Adventures of Francis Draks - Retribution Short Story Header

Retribution – Short Story

This is the first scene from Retribution, a short story in the Adventures of Francis Drake series. Focused on a cutting out raid in a French harbor, young Francis Drake gets a first-rate education on attack tactics that will serve him for the rest of his maritime career.

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