Tag Archives: historical fiction

Orna Ross Awakens Tumultuous Irish Past

Posted on March 17, 2012 by Dianne Ascroft

No green beer and crowded pubs for me today – I’d rather curl up and lose myself in a good yarn. (And I’ve got a couple bottles of Guinness in the house – no fighting my way to the bar). So, what … Continue reading →

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World Book Day – An Excuse To Explore New Authors

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Dianne Ascroft

It’s appropriate on World Book Day (in the UK and Ireland, anyway) that I’m exploring a new (for me!) author. I reserved a copy of Elizabeth Hawksley’s Belvedere Towerlast week and it’s now at my local library. So I’m off … Continue reading →

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How Recent Is History?

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Dianne Ascroft

We’re talking about one of my favourite subjects again today: historical fiction. Larry Peterson is my guest and he’s mulling over whether a story set in the past, within living memory, can be an historical fiction. In January he released … Continue reading →

Posted in February 2012 | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Irish HNS Still Battling The Bands

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Dianne Ascroft

Where can I find a pub or cafe in Belfast city centre that is quiet on a Saturday afternoon? I’ve been on a quest to find one for over a year now. The Irish branch of the Historical Novel Society … Continue reading →

Posted in February 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Peering Into The Butterfly Cabinet

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Dianne Ascroft

I recently read The Butterfly Cabinetby Bernie McGill and I was fascinated by the tale it weaves. Historical fiction based on real events always stirs my imagination but it was more than that. The story drew me in as I … Continue reading →

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Irish HNS Chapter Were Back In Belfast

Posted on August 14, 2011 by Dianne Ascroft

The Irish branch of the Historical Novel Society were back in Belfast at the Europa Hotel on Saturday afternoon for our quarterly meeting. We alternate each quarter between Dublin and Belfast. It certainly isn’t a chore to organise these meetings … Continue reading →

Posted in August 2011 | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Patricia O’Reilly Reveals A Type Of Beauty

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Dianne Ascroft

I recently read A Type of Beauty by Patricia O’Reilly. It was my first introduction to Kate Newton and I was fascinated and moved by this dramatisation of her life. Prior to the book’s release authors Christine Dwyer Hickey and … Continue reading →

Posted in August 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Jump Into Johnny One-Eye

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Dianne Ascroft

In February I discovered the work of Jerome Charyn, a prolific American writer who creates unique, captivating voices for his very diverse characters. I reviewed his novel, The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson, and I absolutely loved the book. So … Continue reading →

Posted in June 2011, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Magdeburg Seized Me

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Dianne Ascroft

A few weeks ago I read Magdeburg by Heather Richardson. This novel is one of the most authentic historical fiction books that I’ve read in a long while. Set in seventeenth century Germany during the Thirty Years War, the book’s … Continue reading →

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Trade Winds Carried Me Along

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Dianne Ascroft

When I first met Christina Courtenay at the Historical Novel Society’s UK conference last October, she was excited that her first novel, Trade Winds, had just been released. Her description of it prompted me to order a copy and I … Continue reading →

Posted in May 2011, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment