Hear ye! Hear ye! Today marks the relaunch of The Seventeenth Century Lady Podcast on iTunes, which we started back in 2013. What accounts for the two-year delay? Well, I started writing and my husband and I moved from one end of the country to the other. We’re aiming to deliver a professional, quality podcast to you every… Read on
I really wanted to like this, I really did, but I had some issues with this book. I have to take into consideration that it was written in the 80s, but that really can’t be an excuse for some of the mistakes I found. I’ve based this review on the Stuart section of the book since that is… Read on
I finally had the chance to see this film for my birthday (my husband bought me the DVD) and I loved every single minute of it. In fact, I was sad when it ended because I loved it so much! I think it was beautifully directed by Alan Rickman and all the actors were very well-cast. The sensitive,… Read on
I received this copy of Deborah Swift’s new book in exchange for an honest review. I first came across Swift’s work (The Lady’s Slipper) when I was browsing in Victoria Station, London, a few years ago. I was happily surprised to find a traditionally published book set in the seventeenth century. Deborah is now the author of five… Read on
On Saturday, I held my first-ever physical book launch at the Guildhall here in Windsor, England. It was a beautiful, sunny day and the Ascot Room in which my launch was held was just as lovely. The room has many portraits of notable historical figures and has lovely stained glass windows, an ornate chandelier in the middle of… Read on
Back in August, my husband and I went camping for one week during our travels throughout Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, and Somerset. Whilst we stayed at the campsite near Bovington in Dorset, we traveled down past Weymouth and to the island of Portland. What possible seventeenth-century connections could be there? Well, quite a lot, as I soon found out.… Read on
Thank you so much for hosting me today, Andrea. I love having an opportunity to share my passion for the 17th century with a soul sister! I thought I would take a moment to talk about the inspiration behind my recent release THE KING’S MAN which is set at the height of the Interregnum (1654). So often truth… Read on
This week’s camping has taken us into the Berkshire countryside, where we stayed at a lovely campground a pleasantly long walk from the village of Hurley. This idyllic village is precisely the sort of place foreigners like me imagine an English village to be. There are beautiful old buildings, some of which date back to the 12th century!… Read on
Back during my trip to Venice in early April, I visited one of the most notorious prisons there. The Palazzo della Prigioni (also known by its nickname, Piombi) is the former prison, which is connected to the Palazzo Ducale by the Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs). Construction began on this building back in the 16th century, so… Read on
Rose Tremain’s Restoration is probably one of the most popular novels set in the seventeenth century, and with good reason: it’s a great book. Originally published back in 1989, I was but four years old and obviously far too young to read it. That being said, it is lamentable that it took until 2015 for me to get… Read on
Please welcome D.W. Bradbridge to The Seventeenth Century Lady! Bradbridge writes historical fiction set in the 17th-century (by the way, his novel The Winter Siege is on a Kindle Countdown Deal from Aug 27 – September 2 during which time it will be £0.99 on Amazon UK!). Daniel Cheswis, the lead character in my novels, The Winter Siege and… Read on
Today I’m very pleased to present you The Seventeenth Century Lady Interview with Baroque ensemble Armonia Celeste! This increasingly popular group is comprised of three singers: sopranos Sarah Abigail Griffiths and Rebecca Choate Beasley, and mezzo-soprano Dianna Grabowski. Lyle Nordstrom accompanies on lute, theorbo, and Baroque guitar, and Paula Fagerberg plays the Baroque triple harp. SCL: What was it about the music… Read on
The following was a draft I wrote about two months ago. The Stuarts in 100 Facts is currently being edited and Steel and Lace is out for sale, so I now have a brief window of time before I begin to focus on A Year in Stuart Britain. I’m spending time with my family in the United States… Read on
Earlier today I walked past a flower and plant stall in Reading and there were so many beautiful plants, including some lovely sunflowers. Although I didn’t buy any sunflowers (I came away with begonias and cornflowers), seeing these sunny flowers reminded me of Clytie. I don’t know about you, but I love mythology and have done since I… Read on
Hear ye! My novella, The Chambermaid, is part of the Steel and Lace Anthology which is out now as a Kindle eBook on Amazon. The paperback will be available shortly. I feel privileged to have been able to work on this project with six other authors: Anna Belfrage, Anita Seymour, Francine Howarth, M.J. Logue, Susan Ruth, and Kelli… Read on
Please welcome Joanne Limburg to The Seventeenth Century Lady! I’ve known Joanne for several years now because we started working on our novels at the same time (me on William & Mary, she on A Want of Kindness). Joanne’s novel is soon to be released (and I’m still looking for a publisher!), so please give a warm welcome to… Read on
Hi, Everyone! I hope this finds you all well. I had quite a nice surprise yesterday when I checked my Amazon profile – I saw that 100 Facts is available to pre-order now, and the cover image features Prince William II of Orange. Although not a Stuart himself, he married one (Mary Stuart, Princess Royal and Princess of… Read on
Last week, I was tagged by my friend Anna Belfrage in this blog hop. First of all, I’d like to say how much I admire Anna. I’ve known her virtually for a few years and she is a historical fiction writer and has written The Graham Saga. This is a series of books set in the 17th-century, so… Read on
Having finished reading the novel a few days ago, last night I sat down to watch the 1998 film version of Frenchman’s Creek. A huge amount of the story was changed. Instead of being set in the Restoration court under Charles II, it was set during the Glorious Revolution in 1688. There are loads of Dutchmen as a… Read on
When I finished listening to the audiobook version of Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier, I was left sitting at my kitchen table in floods of tears. What a moving story! The first thing I thought after I finished was that this was rather like The Bridges of Madison County – a woman is married to someone and has children… Read on
Armonia Celeste is a US-based Early music ensemble of three women’s voices and plucked-string period instruments. They specialise in Italian music of the late Renaissance and early Baroque – so as soon as I could I purchased their 2015 album Udite, amanti: Music from Seventeenth-Century Barberini Courts which contains eighteen tracks of excellent music. I knew about them from their Twitter page. (This social… Read on
The 23rd of April is St. George’s Day here in England. There is something inherently romantic in the many artistic depictions of St. George. He is often in full armour, brandishing a weapon, and on the verge of killing a dragon. Later on in this post, I hope to convey the importance of St. George in the history… Read on