Wednesday 31 October 2012

Guest Author - Janice Horton

Today I welcome back to the blog, the lovely, JANICE HORTON who is celebrating the launch of her novella HOW DO YOU VOODOO?

photos courtesy of the author


Thanks for answering my questions today, Janice


How Do you Voodoo? is a little different from your other novels?  Where did the idea come from?

Interestingly, the idea for How Do You Voodoo?was sparked by a real life event. I was on a flight back from the Caribbean which had originated in Port au Prince, Haiti, when two female passengers got into an argument on board. When one of the women went onto to be quite ill later in the flight, my imagination took over and I started scribbling down the synopsis for a story about a girl with a voodoo curse on her and what happened afterwards!

Story Synopsis: How Do You Voodoo?

Loveless fashion model Nola Nichols thinks being beautiful is a curse; that is until she is cursed and her looks begin to fade just a week before the most important photo shoot of her career.
Nola rejects all rational explanation on what might be causing her lost looks and decides she has to find a way to get uncursed. This imaginative quest takes her from the Caribbean to Glasgow’s own City of the Dead. Along the way, she finds herself taking part in a rather unconventional funeral, involved in a voodoo ritual, reveals one or two unrests in her own past and falls madly in love with a doctor. Erm, that would be a witch doctor, right…?

This one is a novella, was it easier or more difficult to write?

This is my first novella and, although at 20,000 words it was much quicker to write that my full length novels, I don’t think it was any less difficult! In fact, I found the writing process very similar in the respect of creating character, plot, story arc, etc.  The only difference is how I tell the story.In my longer novels, I have more characters and more viewpoints and there is at least one subplot. In How Do You Voodoo?the story is told only from Nola’s viewpoint and there is no subplot, only a bit of backstory that I weave in as the story progresses, so that we understand why she behaves as she does and what she really wants in life.

Will you be looking at writing another novella, or are you working on a full novel next?
I’m working on another full length novel at the moment but I’m aware that I’m not the fastest novelist in the world and so it’s unlikely to be finished, edited and formatted, until mid-2013. It occurred to me that there are certain times of the year, like Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day, when it’s an ideal time to bring out a novella to keep your readers interested in your writing between full length novels or perhaps to introduce them to your writing.It also gives me a bit of fun.  If How Do You Voodoo?proves to be popular then I’ll release another two follow on novellas over the next year. I already have ideas for Voodoo Wedding and Voodoo Child.


Janice Horton lives in Scotland and writes contemporary romance with humour. Her novels ‘Bagpipes & Bullshot’ and ‘Reaching for the Stars’ are both Amazon Kindle bestsellers. Her latest title ‘How Do You Voodoo?’ is a romantic and humorous novella for Halloween and out now!



Find out more about Janice and her novels:
Like her AuthorFacebook Page
Featured Author & Associate Editor at:Loveahappyending.com
Link to her ebooks on Amazon.co.uk
Link to her ebooks on Amazon.com

Friday 26 October 2012

Hey! What's Going On??

Hey, guys! Long time no post, eh? Sorry about that. As most of you may or may not know, the past year and a half has been c-r-a-z-y for me and not always in a good way - but mostly in a good way, especially the past nine months almost.

So, what's been going on??

Let's start from the beginning. Early last year, due to some miscommunication between myself and my doctor (but mostly just the doctor - lol), I went through a bout of crazy high blood pressure and weight gain. At first, no one knew what was going on because everything except for one thing had stayed the same - and it just so happened that one thing is what brought it all on. 

Once that was figured out (by a new doctor, I might add), I was on the road to getting everything back in order and everything seemed to start going splendidly again. So splendidly in fact, that my husband and I decided it might be time to add an addition to the family after four years of marriage - we wanted to have a baby. Being the overly paranoid type, I decided before we started trying that I wanted to go to the doctor to make sure everything was 100% ready to go - and that's when the second big road block came around. I found out I had cervical cancer. Luckily for me, I caught it super early and it was still superficial, so all I had to do was undergo a small surgery to get rid of it - no radiation and no chemo of any sort. But, that put a HUGE stop on plans to have a baby because not only did I have to recover for months and months, there was also the very high possibility that my cervix might not be strong enough to carry a child full-term. There was a lot of crying and depression on my part, but ultimately I came to the conclusion that things in life happen for a reason and, if I wasn't meant to have a child, then that just meant I'd grow old with just my husband and our animal babies. 

After my months of recovery, I just decided to let nature take its course even though my doctor had warned me it could take forever to conceive after my surgery.. or it just may never happen. A little over a month later, I found out I was pregnant. 


This coming Monday, I will be 38 weeks pregnant. That pic up there is a 3D picture of my sweet baby boy that will be gracing us with his presence so very soon. My pregnancy hasn't been ideal with morning sickness, allergies, sinus issues, aches, pains, etc. HOWEVER, as far as pregnancy and his development goes, it's been pretty textbook and I couldn't ask for anything more than that. At my appointment today, I found out that he weighs 7 pounds already and they're expecting him to make it to his due date of November 12.

So, what does that mean for the blog??

I would first like to say a huge thank you to all of my followers that have stuck around, even though there hasn't been much going on lately. This blog has suffered more than anything else in my life from my health issues and everything else going on. But I haven't forgotten about it and I most certainly am NOT ready to give up on it. Even though I haven't been around and I have not updated.. my love of books has never waned. I still read a lot and I have a TON of books that I need to review.. I just haven't gotten around to it because it's so uncomfortable for me to be on a computer for more than a few minutes. If it wasn't for my phone, I probably wouldn't have any online communication whatsoever. 

I can say one thing, though: I miss blogging and reviewing. And I'm ready to get back on track. However, I am a lot more realistic about my life and my priorities now versus what I would like to get done. It will be a slow process, but it WILL happen. If my baby goes full-term, then that means I have a little over two weeks to prepare for him.. and I still have A LOT to do to prep for him. So, that comes first. And I know that once he's here, my world will be turned upside down for a little while. There's no physical way I can just come back to blogging 100% from the very beginning. So, I'm making a compromise.

In some of my down time, I have revised a small plan that may help me get back on track. First, I know there's no way I can post reviews on a daily basis - even though I probably have a year's worth or more of reviews I could post if I did it daily. (I told you I've still been reading!) I have a list of at least 50% of my books that I have read and need to do reviews for. When I have some time to myself, I will start scheduling those.. and these will probably start showing up around the time I have Riley or maybe later in November. Second, I don't think sporadic reviews will be enough and I'd like to start up a feature again to keep this blog active. A lot of bloggers do IMM, Teaser Tuesdays, Waiting on Wednesday, or some type of weekly top ten list. I love those, but I don't know if I can be consistent with any of those. What I thought I would do that seems more feasible is the Before & After feature that I started a couple years back with debut authors. Before & After is an easy enough deal to keep up with. The most energy spent for the project is finding debut authors (already have a list), contacting them and formatting each blog post for each author that participates. It's simple - and something that I really enjoy because it goes with what I like doing on my blog, which is promoting good books and new authors. 

So, that's the plan. Hopefully, this blog will be up and running again very soon and I will be able to join the bookish world once more during my journey of becoming a new mommy. :)

Once again, thank you all for sticking around. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. I'll see you all very soon!! <3

Thursday 25 October 2012

Review: How do you Voo-doo by Janice Horton

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • Publisher: Thornhill Print (1 Oct 2012)
  • ASIN: B009KO9JH2


The blurb (from Amazon)
Loveless fashion model Nola Nichols thinks being beautiful is a curse; that is until she is cursed and her looks begin to fade just a week before the most important photo shoot of her career.

Nola rejects all rational explanation on what might be causing her lost looks and decides she has to find a way to get uncursed. This imaginative quest takes her from the Caribbean to Glasgow’s own City of the Dead. Along the way, she finds herself taking part in a rather unconventional funeral, involved in a voodoo ritual, reveals one or two unrests in her own past and falls madly in love with a doctor. Erm, that would be a witch doctor, right…?


Nola is a self centred character who really does need to take a look at herself.  On a flight back to England for a photo shoot she has a brush with a woman she believes has put a curse on her.

Nola must find out about the curse and how do reverse the changes that are happening to her.  A bit of adventure and some self evaluation follows.

An original, modern day fable that is quite topical in today's society where us girls and ladies are bombarded with airbrushed and photo enhanced images daily.

Janice Horton usually writes full length novels but here she has written a  quick and quirky satisfying read.

9/10 for me!

Review copy.  This did not influence my review in any way




Janice Horton is having a Spellbindingly fun party today over at her place


Party time

Janice Horton is asking for Spell.  A good one not a curse.

My mixture for my spell is



Magical herbs, to sooth my stresses


Vanilla candles, to fill my home with beautiful scent

Single Lilac rose, for my beloved husband and as a reminder of our wedding day

Sprig of Scottish Heather, again for my beloved who has scottish roots

Parchment paper and a quill, for all those dizzy thoughts, or just for all those things I forget

Stardust and pixie dust to add some fun and laughter to the madness.

Worry Stone, now I just could not be without it!  I always have something to worry about.


Stirred with a Silver spoon, I seem to have mislaid mine at birth!


Pop over and join in the fun!

DizzyC






Wednesday 24 October 2012

Cover Reveal - Security by Mandy Baggot



Cover reveal – Mandy Baggot : Security
Before Bond, meet Regan...Nathan Regan

The new Bond film, Skyfall launches tomorrow - but why wait until then for a military intelligence hottie? Let me introduce you to the lead male in Mandy Baggot’s new romantic thriller, Security and reveal the eye-catching 007-style book cover!




Lies hurt, but the truth can get you killed

Autumn Raine is a pop vocalist at the very top of her game. She’s a style icon, the paparazzi’s darling and everyone wants to be her friend. But when her safety is threatened, her whole life starts to unravel.
Enter Nathan Regan, an ex-elite soldier who is assigned to protect her. He’s a good man doing bad things but what drives him? Passion? Madness? Or grief? Demons from his past are threatening to consume him. Can he win the fight alone or will he have to admit he needs help?
As the threat deepens, Autumn starts to find out who she really needs in her life. Is there still room for personal assistant Janey or rapper boyfriend Rockweiler? When everyone around her is feeding her lies, how does she work out the truth? Does her record producer know more than he’s letting on? What is her mother, the British Foreign Secretary’s involvement in the situation? And can Autumn put her faith in a forty-something Jamaican woman who handles an automatic weapon as expertly as she cooks?
Eluding kidnap and trying to stay alive, can Autumn find the strength to be the person she longs to be? And can two people, poles apart, forge something strong enough to survive anything?

Security is coming from Sapphire Star Publishing on 4 April 2013! If you can’t wait until then to find out more here is the link to the teasing trailer!


Find out more about Mandy’s books at www.mandybaggot.webs.comor check out her author page with Sapphire Star Publishing http://www.sapphirestarpublishing.com/mandybaggot


Collect the Bond film titles and WIN a signed paperback copy of 
Strings Attached!
FIVE paperback copies of Mandy's novel Strings Attached are up for grabs! All you have to do is collect the Bond films. 
On each of the websites featuring the Security cover reveal there will be Bond film mentioned (NOT Skyfall). Once you have all the titles, drop Mandy an email mandybaggot@sapphirestarpublishing.com and you will go into the draw for one of the books! Easy! Here are the website links you need! 

Sharon  (Jera's Jamboree) http://jerasjamboree.wordpress.com/
Carol (Dizzy C's Little BB) DIAMONDS ARE FORVEVER
Kate (Me, My Books and I) http://memybooksandi.wordpress.com/
Sue Fortin (Love Reading, Love Books) http://lovereadinglovebooks.wordpress.com/
Lindsay Gentles (TTP Book Reviews) http://www.turningthepages.ca/
Eve Chong (Eve's Chicklit Reviews) http://www.chicklitevexx.blogspot.co.uk/

Good luck with your mission!
Giveaway ends 1st November 2012

DizzyC

Tuesday 23 October 2012

Review: Marry In Haste by Christina Courtenay

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • Print Length: 117 pages
  • Publisher: Choc Lit (31 Aug 2012)
  • ASIN: B0094OPT0Y
The blurb

‘I need to marry, and I need to marry at once’ 
When James, Viscount Demarr confides in an acquaintance at a ball one evening, he has no idea that the potential solution to his problems stands so close at hand …
Amelia Ravenscroft is the granddaughter of a earl and is desperate to escape her aunt’s home where she has endured a life of drudgery, whilst fighting off the increasingly bold advances of her lecherous cousin. She boldly proposes a marriage of convenience. 

And Amelia soon proves herself a perfect fit for the role of Lady Demarr. But James has doubts and his blossoming feelings are blighted by suspicions regarding Amelia’s past. 
Will they find, all too painfully, that if you marry in haste you repent at leisure?


I do enjoy Christina Courntenay's writing and so I just had to get a copy of this novella for a weekend read.

The opening scene sees Amelia eavesdropping on a conversation between two gentlemen at a ball.  Her curiosity and current predicament get the better of her and she agrees to marry one of the men without knowing why he is in such a hurry to marry.

So begins a full on adventure that takes the 2 main characters charging across the country to Marry in Haste and worry about the consequences later.  Which they do.

Will there be a happy ending to this irresponsible act?

For a novella this story is fast paced and just the right length. I suspect this is not an easy task when the author is used to writing full length novels, but Christina has accomplished this.

Perfect romance adventure.

9 out of 10 for me!






A Kettle of Fish by Ali Bacon - Intl Giveaway

The lovely Ali Bacon is celebrating the launch of  A KETTLE OF FISH, published by Thornberry Publishing,  by offering readers the chance to win an e-book on Kindle format and it's an international giveaway!


http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-Kettle-of-Fish-ebook/dp/B009M7FWKK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349951129&sr=8-1

The blurb

She’s running as fast as she can, but the past is catching up.
Ailsa has just left school and should be living it up on a summer trip, but her plans are scuppered by her needy and secretive mother Lorraine. In desperation she takes up with local fishmonger Ian. He’s good for her soul and her sex-life, but their future is blighted by the shadow of Ailsa’s absent father Tom, an art-teacher who left home after making the papers in the worst possible way. Ian eventually blots his copy book and Lorraine is implicated in his treachery. Ailsa takes off for Edinburgh where Shane, a picture rights dealer with more than a touch of the night, is happy to provide a job and a bed. With him Ailsa lets go of her inhibitions, but can she let go of her past? 
A Kettle of Fish moves from the East coast of Fife to the art galleries of Edinburgh, where Ailsa finds herself fishing for clues about Tom.

There’s more about Ali at http://alibacon.com and at
or follow me on Twitter @AliBacon


For your chance to win a Kindle copy of this novel please fill in the form below.

Review: The Girl on the Mountain - Carol Ervin

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • Publisher: Carol L. Ervin (29 Aug 2012)
  • ASIN: B00941HNC4

The blurb

When her husband disappears, young May Rose is stranded in a rough town owned by a company logging the last of West Virginia’s virgin forest. It’s 1899, and a woman alone has few options. As she struggles to sustain herself, she discovers people are not what they seem--not the husband who wooed her with stories and songs, not the wild, dirty child, the sullen cook, nor the stiff boardinghouse proprietor, and certainly not the company manager, pillar of the town. But May Rose is also not the obedient woman she once was. She’s been scorned as the girl on the mountain, the subject of shocking stories, yet there’s more to her than anyone expected. To survive, she must distinguish friend from foe, defend herself from predatory men and boys, and prove herself a person of value. Most important, she must believe that love is never wasted.


Firstly I have to say this author's writing is superb! 

The writing is so beautiful and vivid. It draws the reader right into the character's isolation within her home and marriage. so much so I could not read this at bedtime.  

A gripping tale that I could only fault because I expected some scenes to leave a little more to the imagination of the reader, so I could gloss over some scenes with my sensitive nature. Those less sensitive will enjoy the drama.

This is why I rated it 6 out of 10 for me. 

I received a review copy from the author for my honest opinion. This did not influence my review in any way

Friday 19 October 2012

Nell Dixon - Mayer Series

Nell Dixon is celebrating the news that the next in the Mayer Series, The Cinderalla Subsitute is due to be released on 1st November


Mayer family series 
The Cinderella Substitute releases November 1st 2012

photo courtesy of the author


In the two years since the tragic car crash that killed his fiancée, Nathanial (Nate) Mayer has successfully avoided another relationship. His family and especially his twin sister Nathalie are worried. Jennifer (Jenni) Blake is Nate’s personal assistant. Hired after the accident, she has her own problems to deal with, including the deaths of her adoptive parents and the debts incurred by their nursing care. But those difficulties pale into insignificance when Jenni finally traces her birth mother…


Also available as audiobook from Audiolark




Be My Hero

Nathalie Mayer is thirty-four. On the surface she is an attractive, happy, single, successful woman running her own bridal business. Despite her line of work and her obvious delight in other people’s weddings, including that of her twin brother, Nate. Nathalie has always declared that a settled relationship is not for her. There has only ever been one man whom Nathalie felt she could love.
Evan Davies is back in town after a six year absence. Last time he was here, he and Nathalie had tentatively begun to take their friendship to a different level. Now he’s home again and has the reason for his sudden departure from six years ago with him – his daughter, Polly. 

Available as Audiobook from Audiolark and as ebook Nook, Kindle and other formats


Dangerous to Know 
Jerome Mayer is tall, dark and dangerous to know. Normally Gemma would run a mile, but with a freshly broken heart maybe it’s time for this good girl to take a walk on the wild side. However the danger to them both turns out to be more than just emotional when someone objects to their attempts to uncover a corrupt land deal. 

Available now for Nook, Kindle and other formats.

DizzyC

Something for the weekend....

More bookish news and bargains this week - so many I have had 2 posts this week!




Victoria Connelly has many of her novels on special offer for Kindle at Amazon (including her latest novel CHRISTMAS WITH MR DARCY)
Check out her author page at Amazon to find the bargains from £1.99 
Victoria Connelly @ Amazon






*********************

Touched by the Light Collection by Linn B Halton 
is available for Kindle FREE this weekend

********************


Mandy Baggot's KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU
is FREE this weekend


Have you seen any bargains for FREEBIES that I have missed?


DizzyC





Celebration time

I am feeling rather strange today.

This time 18 years ago I was in the middle of an 18 hour labour with my first born.

Cheryl-Louise came into the world at 7.58pm on 19th October.

I remember thinking at the time, I wonder what she will look like.  Then as a baby I wondered how she would look as she grew up. As you can see she has grown into a beautiful woman.


Happy 18th Birthday, Cheryl-Louise




DizzyC

Wednesday 17 October 2012

Review: The Road Back by Liz Harris

  • Publisher: Choc Lit (7 Sep 2012)
  • ISBN-13: 978-1906931674
  • Also available for Kindle
  • ASIN: B008RMKX0U


The blurb

When Patricia accompanies her father, Major George Carstairs, on a trip to Ladakh, north of the Himalayas, in the early 1960s, she sees it as a chance to finally win his love. What she could never have foreseen is meeting Kalden - a local man destined by circumstances beyond his control to be a monk, but fated to be the love of her life.


Despite her father's fury, the lovers are determined to be together, but can their forbidden love survive?

A wonderful story about a passion that crosses cultures, a love that endures for a lifetime, and the hope that can only come from revisiting the past.


1995 - Amy wants to find out about her birth parents and why her mother gave her up for adoption.

The author takes us back to 1951 when Amy's mother, Patricia is just 7 years old and living with her family in London.  We find a young girl eager to please her father Major George Carstairs. Not an easy task when her father has difficulty coming to terms with her brother's illness. 

In a remote village in Ladakh 8 year old Kalden lives a completely different lifestyle.  The fourth son in the family, he knows what his future holds and he is destined to become a Monk.

1962 - Fate brings Amy and Kalden, now aged 18,  together in the beautifully serene landscape of Ladakh.  Amy and her father travel there to update his notes from an early stay there in his army days.  So begins a love story that surely cannot survive the cultural and class divide.  Amy is only in Ladakh for a matter of months and Kalden is due to go into the monastery.

Due to circumstances Amy does have leave Ladakh and return to England, but this love story does not end there.

The passion with which Liz Harris writes about Ladakh, it's seasons, cultures and it's people led me to believe that she must have stayed there for her research, just like her character Patricia, but her acknowledgements tell me that research was not undertaken directly in Ladakh. Amazing storytelling.

A beautiful debut novel from Liz Harris.  I cannot wait to see what is next from this author. One for me to watch.

I was not sure whether to put this in the historical fiction or historical romance genre.  It is much more than just a romance with wonderful descriptions of the landscape and people of Ladakh.

This novel will be in my Top reads for 2012.

10 out of 10 for me!

Review copy from ChocLit.  This did not influence my review in any way.


Bookish news....

So much news to tell you this week.....

Kate Morton has 2 novels on special at Amazon (as always pls do check b4 u click!)

The Forgotten Garden at 69p  and   The House at Riverton at 99p

*********************




Jae De Wylde  is pleased to announce that  Sleeping People Lie is now available on pre-order on Amazon.
 
"It´s a love story with a dark edge set between Paris and New York. "
 
Jae De Wylde says "The official launch is at Waterstones, Market Harborough 6.30pm Thursday 29 November and I will be delighted to welcome family, friends, readers and book groups for fizzy and cupcakes"


*********************************

Her Favoured Captian by Francine Howarth - UK  is FREE at the moment.  
Her Favoured Captain by Francine Howarth - USA

**************************


Phillipa Gregory has added a reading list to her Facebook Fan Page to show readers 
the reading order for her novels. Set out in Series order.


Have you seen something I have missed??

DizzyC



Tuesday 16 October 2012

W.I.P. Weds - Caroline James


Today, Caroline James visits again to update us on her current WIP
Thank you for sharing this with us, Caroline



Greetings Carol
 .
Congratulations on your recent wedding - you were a very beautiful bride!

Thank you so much for asking me to write a few lines on my WIP which is The Agent  - to be published in 2013.

This isn't a follow-on from Coffee, Tea, The Gypsy & Me which was published on e-formats and Kindle earlier this year and went to #3 on Amazon (and has just come out in paperback), although many readers have asked me write one - I've had lots of suggestions… Coffee, Tea, The Pilot/Hairdresser/Chef etc & Me…!  Perhaps that will be the next book! 

The Agent is set in London and is a modern day romp following the lead character Hilary Hargreaves who runs a media agency based in Soho.  Hilary has a penchant for all things vintage and dresses accordingly.  I've had great fun researching this and enjoyed days out at Goodwood Revival (hours of note taking in the Mojito bar where I survived to continue to tell the tale - Hilary loves her Bombay Gin) and scouring the vintage shops in the many trendy village-like pop-ups in Camden and Brixton.  Her clients are from the world of hospitality and her business is successful - cookery shows are very much in vogue and chefs have become entertainers and high earners.  Hilary's difficulties lie in containing her clients - the TV and paparazzi cameras follow them closely and their escapades both on and off screen cause her great concern.  Ably assisted by Bob - her PA, who has recently found beads-bangles-and-Budda, Hilary jets off around the world carving careers for a new generation of celebrity chefs.  

I'm loving the whole process of writing and compiling this book.  Like Coffee, Tea, The Gypsy & Me there will be caricature illustrations on chapter headings and my brilliant illustrator Alli Smith has come up with some crackers!  Including a really fun cover and I hope the readers will enjoy reading this it too.

Thanks Carol - lovely to be with you all today xx



Here are some links to my current book and details of where I can be contacted:

Coffee, Tea, The Gypsy & Me - Kindle:


Coffee, Tea, The Gypsy & Me - Paperback:



Email: carolinejames5683@yahoo.co.uk

Oh, and if you want to send a lovely book & booze gift, please go to:

Sunday 14 October 2012

Guest Author - Mary Tod

Today I have the pleasure of introducing Historical Ficiton author,  Mary Tod

Mary recently conducted a survey about readers likes and dislikes in their Historical fiction choices.  Here Mary shares her results with us.  Interesting reading.

There will be questions at the end of the article :)

Welcome, Mary


From the World of Historical Fiction

In late March, I conducted a survey about historical fiction to uncover the preferences and habits of those who do or do not read this genre. Why? Because I write historical fiction. To my surprise, more than 800 people from different parts of the world responded. The results and associated information are posted on my blog, www.awriterofhistory.com .

I am delighted that Carol – aka DizzyC – has graciously invited me to tell you a little about the survey. Rather than boring charts and data, I thought I would share a few highlights.

First, some general comments:
  • THE PAST FASCINATES. Almost 75% of respondents read more than 25% historical fiction.
  • SEX: Women and men differ significantly in their views of historical fiction.
  • GOING ONLINE: Social media and online sites play a very significant role for those consuming historical fiction. Online sites are a preferred source of recommendations, information and discussion.
  • GEOGRAPHY: A reader’s geographic location has little affect on preferences.
  • EARLY HABITS: Those introduced to historical fiction in childhood continue to read it at high volumes.

Why do people read historical fiction? The top three reasons are:
  • To bring the past to life, appreciating how people lived and coped in very different times;
  • Because it’s a great story;
  • To understand and learn about historical periods without reading non-fiction.
What are your favourite types of stories? (1) Stories with a strong female character, (2) the life of a significant historical figure, and (3) the lives of lesser-known historical figures. It’s worth pointing out that men have a different opinion. The top three for men are: significant historical figure, adventure story and story with a military angle. Love those swords, ships and battles!
What about preferred historical time periods? Readers favour the 13thto 16th century time period by a significant margin. The next favourite is the 19th century followed by those readers who say they choose widely from different time periods.
Who are your favourite authors? 601 of 805 individuals responded, some noting a few favourite authors while others offered long lists of favourites. Counting the names – a laborious process – resulted in the following, where the middle column is the number of times an author was mentioned and the right hand column their location.

Sharon Kay Penman
111
US
Philippa Gregory
75
UK
Elizabeth Chadwick
74
UK
Diana Gabaldon
66
US
Bernard Cornwell
58
UK/US
Ken Follett
37
UK
Anya Seton
35
US
CW Gortner
34
US
Alison Weir
33
UK
Margaret George
31
US
Georgette Heyer
31
UK
Jean Plaidy
29
UK
Michelle Moran
29
US
CJ Sansom
27
UK
Jane Austen
24
UK
Dorothy Dunnett
24
UK
Ellis Peters
21
UK
Susan Higginbotham
20
US
Tracy Chevalier
18
US/UK
Hilary Mantel
18
UK
Jacqueline Winspear
18
UK/US
Patrick O’Brian
17
UK
Deanna Raybourne
17
US
Sarah Dunant
16
UK
Colleen McCullough
16
Aus
James Michener
16
US
Helen Hollick
15
UK
Anne Perry
15
UK
Lindsey Davis
14
UK
Charles Dickens
14
UK
Mary Renault
12
UK
Rosemary Sutcliff
12
UK
Geraldine Brooks
11
Aus/US
James Clavell
11
UK/US
Edward Rutherfurd
11
UK/US
Sarah Waters
11
UK
Jean Auel
10
US
John Jakes
10
US
Lisa See
10
US
Wilbur Smith
10
UK



For the most part, these authors base their stories in long ago periods, writing about well-known historical figures either in a central or significant role. Many have written series or have concentrated on a particular time period so readers know what to expect and are familiar with their main characters.

What detracts from your enjoyment of historical fiction? Participants responded with enthusiasm to this question. Once posted, blog readers echoed many of the same sentiments.





What are your favourite reading-oriented websites, blogs & social media sites? The winners in connecting readers with books share three attributes:
  • thoughtful, trustworthy information about books,
  • opportunities for dialogue and an exchange of ideas, and
  • a community of like-minded readers.

Category
# of mentions
Goodreads
231
Historical Fiction blogs/sites
218
Small book review blogs *
145
Amazon
89
Facebook
71
Library Thing & Shelfari
49
Author blogs and sites *
43
Big book review sites
38
Other
26
Genre Sites *
24
Twitter
21
Publishing & Industry sites
18
Library sites
16
Newspapers - online
14
Other social media
13
Book Chains
13
General history sites
13
Indie Bookstores
7
Do not use
73
Highlights
·    Goodreads, historical fiction blogs and small book review blogs like DizzyC’s are the top three by a wide margin.
·    Adding Library Thing and Shelfari to the Goodreads number brings the category of interactive reader communities to 49.8%.
·    In total, readers mentioned more than 150 book blogs run by individuals or small groups.














Feedback:

I’d love to have comments on the survey.

  • Do these results resonate for you as readers?
  • What do you find surprising?
  • As readers of DizzyC’s Little Book Blog, what brings you online for information about books?
Please do leave comments below and I will pass these back to Mary.
Thank you.