Tag Archives: World War II

It Was A Pleasure To Meet Martha’s Girls

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Dianne Ascroft

It’s no secret that I enjoy reading historical fiction. I don’t limit myself to any particular era but wartime stories always interest me. Since I moved to Northern Ireland more than two decades ago I’ve developed an interest in stories … Continue reading →

Posted in May 2013 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Black Orchestra

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Dianne Ascroft

I recently read The Bird Watcher by JJ Toner and I enjoyed it immensely. I loved the way he portrayed the reactions of the residents of an Irish village to a stranger who settles amongst them during The Emergency (as … Continue reading →

Posted in March 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Cologne: A Whiff Of The Past

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Dianne Ascroft

My guest today is Sarah Pleydell, author of Cologne, an historical fiction set in the Second World War era and 1960s London. I’ve invited Sarah to visit Ascroft, eh? to answer some questions about the book. Welcome, Sarah. Let’s get … Continue reading →

Posted in February 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

An Intriguing Find: A Parachute in the Lime Tree

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Dianne Ascroft

At the Historical Novel Society conference in September I met Annemarie Neary, the author of A Parachute in the Lime Tree, and I was intrigued to hear about her book as it is one of the first novels to be … Continue reading →

Posted in December 2012, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Women’s War

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Dianne Ascroft

I first met Fenella Miller at the Historical Novel Society conference in Manchester a couple years ago. As I talked to her I was impressed to learn how quickly she is able to complete each novel she writes – she … Continue reading →

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

The Siren Of Paris Alerts Us To War’s Reality

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Dianne Ascroft

I’ve just finished reading Siren of Paris by David LeRoy and it’s a story that will stay with me for a while. It has a complex, well developed plotline and presents the story in a tantalising way, jumping back and … Continue reading →

Posted in July 2012, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

V E Day Was The Beginning

Posted on May 8, 2010 by Dianne Ascroft

Today is the 65th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day). On May 8th, 1945 the Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany and Europe celebrated the end of the war. They had good reason to celebrate … Continue reading →

Posted in May 2010, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Metro Eireann reviews ‘Hitler and Mars Bars’

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Dianne Ascroft

I just read Metro Eireann newspaper’s review of Hitler and Mars Bars and thought I’d pass on the highlights to you. Hitler and Mars Bars was praised for being “tightly written, and the characters very much believable” by Irish newspaper … Continue reading →

Posted in April 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Authors Show Interviews Dianne Ascroft

Posted on March 8, 2009 by Dianne Ascroft

  Stop by The Authors Show any time on March 10 to hear Don McCauley interviewing me, Dianne Ascroft, about my recent historical fiction, Hitler and Mars Bars. I’ll chat about everything from my advice to new writers (though I’m really one myself!) to … Continue reading →

Posted in March 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

World Book Day Contest

Posted on March 5, 2009 by Dianne Ascroft

Today’s World Book Day in Britain and Ireland. Since one of the aims of the day is to encourage children to read, children in fiction will be the focus of this post. I’ll tell you a bit about some books … Continue reading →

Posted in March 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments