Ben’s Bones is a lesson in medical history within the covers of a historical fiction novel. It paints an account of a brilliant young anatomist and a friend of Benjamin Franklin who sets up a medical school in London of 1750s. As part of his research, he grapples with the moral costs of scientific discovery.
Character sketch and partial origin scene of one villain of the historical fiction novel Sic Parvis Magna – the ship’s purser James Reynard.
In JR Tomlin’s historical fiction novel Trust and Treason, Sir Archibald “The Grim” Douglas returns home following the disastrous battle at Neville’s Cross. He finds his land overran by the English and fights a personal guerrilla war to to rid Scotland of her invaders. However, he soon finds a deeper treachery, one that forces him to choose where his loyalty lies.
Can an AI “Artist” create a theme-specific cover image or illustrations for a historical fiction novel?
“We sometimes criticize and point the finger at other people who do the same things we did, the things we’re ashamed to talk about.” In the Wall of Tears, author David Kerr offers us a “modern” historical fiction version of ancient biblical history.
I am pleased to announce that the manuscript of the historical novel Sic Parvis Magna, the start-of-series of the Adventures of Francis Drake just crossed 80k words.
Be careful of what you ask of God … as you just might get it.
“…The vastness of the ocean that stretched to meet the sky filled her with a longing to reconnect with the God of the universe. She wanted to feel that closeness and security again. ‘Here I am, God, she prayed. ‘But what am I here for?’”
Had nothing happened, the 8-year-old, ruddy-haired Francis might have followed 300 years of family tradition. He lived in Tavistock, a small village in southwest England. He might have become a tenant farmer, tending to the land and husbanding the animals, or would have followed his father’s footsteps, becoming a preacher, living out his life in quietude and never venturing outside of the village. And history would not have taken a second glance.
But as it pleased the Almighty, the events of 1548 thrust his life in a very different direction. Little did he know that in mere six years, he would be on his way to become one of the greatest mariners, a legendary English admiral, and a feared pirate ‘El Draque,’ the sworn enemy of the Spanish Crown.
How does an effeminate boy that sees fairies survive in rough medieval London? In the historical fiction YA coming-of-age story Airy Nothing, author Clarissa Pattern gives us a wonderful gift. It is a feel-good story of a special boy set in a cruel period of 16th century English history with themes that continue to resonate strongly today.
Historical naval fiction novel Sic Parvis Magna is set in the period of Francis Drake’s youth. There are almost no official records, leaving me to speculate what his apprenticeship might have been like. Using some information about his early life, I sketch what his early experiences and assignments must have been like aboard his marine classroom, teaching him ship handling, trade and piracy. What was this ship like?
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