Many Thanks to Melissa Clark (@BookishAndCaffeinatedTX) on Instagram
“Maiden Tomb was an interesting read! It is a retelling of the fairy tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses, which I’ve never heard of before, or so I thought. As I was reading Maiden Tomb, I was getting a sense of familiarity, but I waited until after reading the book to do a little research. As […]
Many Thanks to Courtney Pityer (@BooksToldToCourtney) on Instagram
“I must say I found the story of Maiden Tomb to be very intriguing! I have a deep love for fairytale retellings and seeing this retelling of the twelve dancing princesses and throw in some Greek Mythology you have a very good plotline up your alley! We have twelve sisters ranging from the age 30-5 […]
MAIDEN TOMB is a Distinguished Favorite for the 2026 Independent Press Award!
Am thrilled to announce that my novella (now out on Amazon and other retailers) is a Distinguished Favorite for the 2026 Independent Press Award in the Novella category. “Distinguished Favorite” means that it was in second place. But I am delighted as I really didn’t expect it to win anything, the competition for prizes being […]
Adventures with Cecylee Part IV ~ Different Clocks
My first novel Thwarted Queen is a fictionalized autobiography told mostly in the voice of Lady Cecylee Neville, the youngest daughter of Ralph, Earl of Westmorland and his second wife Countess Joan. We know only two facts about Cecylee’s youth. The first is that she was born in May 1415. The second is that on […]
Adventures with Cecylee Part III ~ The Lockup
Lady Cecylee Neville, the protagonist of my first novel Thwarted Queen, was the youngest daughter of Ralph, Earl of Westmorland, and his second wife Joan de Beaufort. Earl Ralph was a shrewd operator. As a relatively young man, he became a protégé of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and so, when his first wife […]
Adventures with Cecylee ~ Part II The Wall Walks
Lady Cecylee Neville, the protagonist of my first novel Thwarted Queen, was the youngest daughter of Ralph, Earl of Westmorland, and grew up in the family home at Castle Raby, now in County Durham. Built by the Saxons, and rebuilt near the end of the fourteenth century by Cecylee’s grandfather John, Castle Raby is a […]
Adventures with Cecylee Part I ~ The Portrait
When I research my novels, I travel to the places where they are set to imbibe the scents, sights, and atmosphere of each place. I always find something I don’t expect. Take my first novel Thwarted Queen, which is a fictionalized autobiography told mostly in the voice of Lady Cecylee Neville, the youngest daughter of […]
A Cruise along the Fascinating Thames
I lived near the Thames for the first twenty-one years of my life, yet, for some reason that I cannot now account for, I have never actually been on the river. So when friends came in from California, taking in the sights and sounds of London, I suggested a cruise to Hampton Court Palace, most […]
Meet the people on my team…Today’s person is Catherine Adams, Developmental Editor Extraordinaire
I first encountered Catherine back in 2009. In those days she was transitioning from the Iowa Book Doctors. Subsequently she opened her own business (Inkslinger Editing.) Writing my first novel “Thwarted Queen” is the hardest thing I have ever done, and I benefitted from Catherine’s wonderful suggestions.
