Saturday, December 24, 2011

Wishing You Joy!

'Winter Willow' by MZ Johansen 2011

I would like to thank you all for stopping by my book blog. I admit that I have not been as diligent as I would like to be with my reviews recently.That being said, one of my New Year's plans is to post reviews more regularly. I have a large list of 'already read' books to share!

I wish you all the love,laughter and magic of the season and wishes for joy and prosperity to come in the New Year!


"..Clouds appear and bring to men 
a chance to rest 
from looking at the moon.."
Basho

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Machine Embroidered Flowers, Woodlands & Landscapes: The Art Of Alison Holt

 * * * * *
  • Paperback: 144 pages
  • Publisher: Search Press (October 1, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-13: 978-1844483457
  • Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches

For anyone who loves the work of Annamieke Mein or Jane Hall you're in for a treat with this latest book from Alison Holt.  Lush and beautiful are words that just don't quite describe this book that is part eye-candy and part super well done instruction.
This is a book that is really about the art of 'seeing' and translating what you see into poetry made with thread. The instructional part of the book is very well written, with excellent photographs that illustrate the process very well. Search Press has always, in my opinion, spotted good books and publishes them to their full, beautiful, potential
I am, indeed, quite excited about this book and I know that it will be a "keeper" for. me. I think that it will have wide appeal since many of the techniques can be translated into hand embroidery if desired. Artists, quilters, embroiderers, textile and fiber artists alike will find something to tickle their imagination in the pages of this beautiful book. I can do nothing but highly recommend this gorgeous publication!

 I could go on describing this book - but I do believe that a picture is worth a thousand words and, hopefully, these photos, will tempt you to add this to your own 'keeper" library!




Friday, November 11, 2011

"At The Mercy Of The Queen" by Anne Clinard Barnhill

* * * * *
  • Paperback: 448 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (January 3, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312662134
I was intrigued by the prospect of reading this book because it presents the oft told story of the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn from another perspective - that of her cousin and maid-of-honor, and confidant, Madge (Margaret) Shelton I wondered if there was really another angle that would be compelling enough to make for a good read.

By my 5 star rating you can tell that I found that the book really did offer a fresh, new view. Madge Shelton was in a very unique position in the Court of Henry VIII. 

Arriving from from the country as a young girl, Madge was innocent of the vagaries and morals of Court life. Her nickname at Court quickly becomes  "Pretty Madge" and the reader follows her story as she rebuffs the admiring courtiers and soon becomes Anne Boleyn's closest confident and champion.

Madge becomes swept along in the story of Anne's determination to be wife of King Henry and, later of Anne's desperate attempts to fulfill her royal duty of filling the royal nursery with make heirs - as her predecessor, Katherine of Aragon had failed to do  - a failure that led the Country though religious wars and the dismantling of the monasteries.

As Anne desperation for a son becomes the only focus of her life she hatches a plan to lure the King into an affair with Madge's; proffering her beauty and charms as bait in order to keep the the King from courting the King's current paramour, the milk faced Jane Seymour. Not long before Anne devises this plan to have Madge lure the King into an affair Madge herself has succumbed to lure of love - falling in love with a handsome, well placed Courtier named Charles Brandon who Madge initially called 'Sir Churlish'.

As the the story turns towards the final downfall of Anne Boleyn Charles exhorts Madge to leave with him so that they can be married and stay away form the increasing dangers of the Court. Madge's love and commitment to Anne force her to remain with Anne until the hour. Did Madge wait too long? Did she lose the love of her life by remaining true to Queen Anne?

This book is well written and well paced. The plethora of factual historical references keeps the flavor of the time - allowing the reader 'feel' as though they can 'smell' and 'be' in the book as a participant. The fact that Ms Barnhill can take a secondary historical note and create such a riveting story from it is surely testimony to her skill as a writer. This is her first book - and I am looking forward to more !

Monday, November 7, 2011

From Felt To Fabric: New techniques In Nuno Felting By Catherine O'Leary

* * * * *
  • Paperback: 128 pages
  • Publisher: Lark Crafts; 1 edition (October 4, 2011)
  • ISBN-13: 978-1600596674
  • Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches 
When I was given the opportunity to review this book Lark I was excited. his book is right up my alley! Nuno felting has had a wide following for many years and this book takes the nuno felting process into a new direction. Catherine O'Leary has produced a beautiful volume - and introduces us to using a variety of fabrics (silks included of course!) on top of felt to create a wide range of fantastic textures, modular units and endless possibilities. I think this book will have wide appeal for all textile artists, felters, clothes mavens, and, most certainly, nuno felters! I love finding a familiar technique used in a fresh, stylish and utterly delightful way!  This is really an excellent book and it should have a place in your permanent textile arts library!
Some wonderful new ways to create fabric from modular 'new' nuno felted units.


Creating a new piece of fabric & cutting out modular units.

Endless possibilites

From haute couture to utilitarian the possibilities presented in this book are myriad.

The usual method of preparing nuno felts - with a twist!

This page shows the some of the best ways to use the new nuno felting for garment construction to emphasize the draping qualities.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

"His Last Duchess" by Gabrielle Kimm

* * * * *   
  • Paperback: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (October 1, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-13: 978-1402261510
I have read other books about the Medicis. Many of them irk  me  just a bit with their concentration on sex and depravity. Yes, we all have noted that the Medici family was prone to some perversity but that is rally only a small part of the story of this truly amazing Renaissance family. The history of Florence and the Medici family is, perhaps, not complete without some portrayal of their odd familial sexual perversion but it need not be the focus of a book to be interesting. At least on my opinion - and although I don't consider myself a libertine by any stretch of the imagination- neither am I prude.

This book was a happy exception to the rule about fiction based on the Medici family. My favorite thing about the book is that it poignantly depicts the beauty that was Florence during the Renaissance. As a reader I can almost smell the air, breath in the scents of cooking and flowers, walk through sun warmed porticos and wander through darkened, shuttered room where anything might - and sometimes does -happen. This is a well researched book that shines with the basis of fact that makes reading good historical fiction so enjoyable and satisfying.

The story takes the reader through 16 year old  Lucrezia de Medici's ill fated marriage to the wealthy &  handsome Duke of Ferrara, Alphonso D'Este. Yes, there is some sex - but it a part of the story - not the story itself. That makes all of the difference for me as a reader.

The book is well researched, well written with subtlety blended plot lines that will have you routing for Lucrezia as the book nears the end. It's a compelling read that I certainly think can't fail to please. I thoroughly recommend this as a very readable, enjoyable, and illustrative book about this famous family.

"Dimensional Beaded Embroidery : A Reference Guide To Techniques" by Jamie Cloud Eakin

* * * * *


  • Hardcover: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Lark Crafts; 1 edition (October 4, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-13: 978-1600597961
  • Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.8 x 0.7 inches 
This new book from Lark is a real treat for bead-o-philes everywhere.  The directions are clear and complete, concise, well illustrated and well written and easy to follow.

The chapters include:
  • Materials and Tools
  • Basic Techniques
  • Getting Started and Designing
  • Using Components
  • Surface Stitches
  • Bezel Stitches
  • Edge Treatment Stitches
  • Attachment Stitches
  • The Projects !
There is a wealth of information in this well designed book and, if you're not already into bead embroidery - you surely will be by the time you've paged through this book. I have to admit that jewelry making has never been one of my greater obsessions, but thanks to being able to see some of the amazing jewelry making titles in the Lark line up I have to confess that I have dabbled a bit! Good Lord - one more thing to add to my peripatetic resume! I am, however, trying to stick to small things like earrings. If you have a hankering for beaded embroidery or are, like me, a technique junkie, this is a good book to have in your library! You'll be able to create these amazing beaded embroidery projects easily by following the super well done instructions! Go on - you know you need another obsession don't you ?!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

"The Women Of The Cousin's War: The Duchess, The Queen and The King's Mother" by Phillipa Gregory, David Baldwin, Michael Jones and Bianca Amato and

* * * *
  • Hardcover: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Touchstone (September 13, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-13: 978-1451629545
I have some confessions to make. I owe some apologies as well. After I did my series of reviews for Helen Hollick life, work and health all went through a bit of a burble. It's been long enough that I have considered deleting this blog. I felt I had let myself and my few readers down by taking such a long hiatus. I know - blogging without obligation and all of that....but I was feeling pretty low. I have kept on reading though and now I realize that I don't want delete this blog because I still have so many wonderful books to share with all of you. You may not be interested in all them but everything I write about is a book I have found interesting for one reason or another. Lately I have been in a non-fiction phase on the literary front and a natural dyeing phase on the artistic front - so those are where I will begin to crawl back into the comfort of my willow tree.

I realize that I have a book from the Helen Hollick tour to settle on a lucky winner - and I will. I'll notify the winner and write to Helen to give her person's name. I hope you will accept my apology for being so long in getting back to you.

Okay - now about this excellent read.

Alongside this book I was also reading "Elizabeth: England's Slandered Queen" by Arlene Orkelund - so the combination could not have been any better! I think that it would be helpful if you have read Phillipa Gregory's earlier books, "The Red Queen" and "The White Queen" since they are mentioned quite often. You'll understand who's who alright without knowing about the books but the references  sort of make you want to refer to those books (and maybe that's one of the ideas). I would have been as happy without the reference - but no matter. I think the the "Red Queen" and "The White Queen" were panned a bit when they first came out but I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed both of them.

I was truly excited when I saw that this book was available for order. The women of the cousin's war were, in my opinion, some of the most fascinating, intelligent, strong willed and motivated women of their time.  I have always been a special fan of Elizabeth Woodville and her brother, Anthony, Lord Rivers. I think they were part of a very interesting family - well ahead of their time in terms of education and inquisitiveness. Elizabeth withstood such an incredible amount of stress and weathered it all with some aplomb I think. The stresses of their age are so very different from the stresses most of us deal with - but I've always believed - stress is stress and managing stress is what makes a winner (no - I don't manage stress too well!). I really admire Elizabeth and think that she was a most fitting Queen Consort for Edward IV. A strong role model for women of her time.

My hope for this book was that it would elucidate the war in context with the women who played such  important roles in the war. I was not disappointed from that perspective! Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford, her daughter Elizabeth Woodville, the Queen (one of my favorite monarchs) and Margaret Beaufort, wife to Henry VII and mother to Henry VIII.  What an amazing trio of strong, well educated, survivors and game changers they were! I learned quite a bit about them and their familial relationships - which is what I wanted to understand more clearly. I found that this book really helped me sort out the myriad 'players' in this most important historical frame.

I might have given this  5 stars had it all been more 'fleshed out' but that was probably not the idea for this book - it's more of an introduction and, for me at least, a clarification and time line. As an introduction to these amazing women and their important roles in the long conflict that ruled their lives I found the book to be well worth the reading - and keeping. This book will remain as a permanent part of my "British History Library"! It really helped me to get a sense of these women and where they fit in the political framework of this conflict; the men in their lives and the conflicts and the family politics that shaped their lives and the lives of their families - and of British history itself.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

"Bring It Close" by Helen Hollick

 * * * * *
  • Paperback: 386 pages
  • Publisher: Silverwood Books (June 22, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-13: 978-1906236625
In the third volume in the 'Sea Witch' series we learn that pirate Captain Jesamiah Acorn  has accepted  amnesty from the Governor but finds that the amnesty has not allowed old rifts to mend. He still has enemies - among them the infamous, sadistic pirate Edward Teach - better known as Blackbeard - who has an issue to settle with Jesamiah.  After a misdirected and impulsive tryst with a female acquaintance  Jesamiah returns home only to discover that, Tiola, now his fiancée, has  traveled to  North Carolina to assist with an imminent, likely difficult, birth. Jesamiah wants to go to Tiola but has one large problem - Edward Teach lives in North Carolina and going to find Tiola might mean a serious wrangle with the vindictive pirate. 

Teach must not discover that Tiola is pledged to Jesamiah and she must cloak her identity and her 'gift'. In a deal made long ago -Teach's soul belongs to the devil and Tiola must hide her powers in order to survive her chance meetings with Teach and to protect Jesamiah who has been wounded by Teach and has taken refuge at his family's home in Virgina. The plot twists and turns as it winds it's way through this story of love, a family's dark history, treachery and, ultimately some peace - before the seas of life turn wild once again.

To quote from Ms. Hollick's website - for who can say it better than she?
"....How is Jesamiah Acorne to clear his name, overturn a sentence of hanging, keep Tiola safe, put an end to Blackbeard and deal with being haunted by the ghost of his father? Bring It Close moves from the Bahamas to North Carolina and Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia at a swashbuckling pace. There is intrigue, misunderstandings, romance and adventure all wrapped up in a delightful blend of mystical fantasy....."

Oh did I not mention the fantasy?! It's one one of the things I like best about this series - and this volume in particular. The classic battle between good and evil is played out through the powers of Tiola - the 'white witch" and healer and the dark, dominating, malevolence of Blackbeard's diabolical mind. The whole series is filled with a hint of magic...and that's one of the elements that I love the best about this series: the fanciful aspect that, understated as it is, is a palpable element that runs throughout the series.

I can't speak highly enough of Helen Hollick's work. She is a master story teller - whose plots are well paced, filled with action, adventure, romance and yes, a bit of magic too. You will find yourself wanting to read more of her work and you will, most assuredly, be sad when this book ends. A sequel is in the works though - so we may not be sad for too long!

Now - leave a comment and I'll have a drawing - the prize is a signed copy of "Sea Witch"  from the author to you - just to whet your reading whistle!



Wednesday, July 20, 2011

"Pirate Code" by Helen Hollick

* * * * *
  • Paperback: 302 pages
  • Publisher: Silverwood Books (June 15, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-13: 978-1906236632

"Pirate Code" is the second volume in Helen Hollick's "Sea Witch" series. The rollicking, riveting action continues as Jesamiah Acorn, Captain of the 'Sea Witch', continues his pursuit of the woman he loves, Tiola Oldstaugh. Tiola, now married to the wealthy, obdurate Dutchman Stefan Van Overstreet, knows that  Jesamiah is her true love but gaining her freedom is rife with peril.  Jesamiah has  renounced the pirate's life and has been trying to find his way in a world without it. He wants Tiloa divorced from the overbearing Van Overstreet, but Stefan has imposed a condition of his release of Tiola. The terms of Tiola's freedom are that Jesamiah goes to Spanish held Hispaniola and smuggle out barrels of indigo that are hidden on the island. The Governor wants Jesamiah to go to Hispaniola as well - but his reasons are  completely different - he wants to incite rebellion and dictates that Jesamiah search for a spy who's headquartered in Hispaniola.

The 'top dog' in Hispaniola is a dictator- a man who wants nothing more than to hang, draw and quarter Captain Jesamiah Acorn. War with Spain looms on the horizon and the search for the barrels of precious Indigo is perilous - and fraught with not only treachery and potential death but also with the amourous cravings of a lovely widow - Francesca Escudero.

Historically accurate details surround the adventures of the book. This volume is so much more than a mere love story -  treachery, skullduggery, action, adventure, warfare and plunder abound. You'll be  on the edge of seat all the way through this rollicking great adventure.





Tuesday, July 19, 2011

" Sea Witch" by Helen Hollick Blog Tour Special

 * * * * * 
  • Paperback: 316 pages
  • Publisher: Silverwood Books (June 20, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-13: 978-1906236601
For the next three days I am honored to be reviewing the Sea Witch series by Helen Hollick. Today I review the first book in this wonderful series "Sea Witch" along with a fascinating author interview. On Wednesday I will be reviewing the second book, "Pirate Code" and on Thursday I will present "Bring It Close". Follow along, leave a comment and on Thursday I will be picking one name from the proverbial hat to win a copy of "Sea Witch" sent to you by the author herself!

I have to admit that I was never much of a pirate fan. Johnny Depp changed my feelings with his colorful portrayal of the swashbuckling, slightly swashed pirate ,Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates Of The Caribbean series. The movie series sufficed to fill my pirate cravings - until a chance meeting with Helen Hollick's dauntless character Captain Jesamiah Acorn.

First - I must correct an error in my initial 'teaser' post - this is more than a trilogy really because a fourth title in the series will soon be published - so it is, in actuality, a quad series.... and who knows, maybe the adventures will continue! That would be a good thing  because once you start to read the series you won't want the story to end! Trust me on this !

The action of this series is rooted in the 'golden age' of piracy - around 1716 - and the action extends from the infamous 'horn of Africa' to the beaches of the well known pirate haunts in the Caribbean. If you can, for a moment, consider what Johnny Depp would be like if he was 100 per cent more charismatic you would have an idea of how good the main protagonist of the series, Captain Jesamiah Acorn, is. His command of the sailing vessel "Sea Witch" give series it's name. The main female character, Tiola Oldstaugh is a white witch and healer who saves Jesamiah from a murderous attack perpetrated by a band of pirate hunters. Ms. Hollick used an anagram of "all that is good" to fashion Tiola's name. Brilliant ! I think that Tethys - the soul of the seas who is portrayed as a living entity - (which I'm sure some seafarers would swear is true!) is one of my favorite elements of the series. Tethys has sworn that the handsome, invincible Captain Acorn will be hers. Tiola's task is to use the forces of her will and her love to prevent the sea from laying claim to her proud pirate, Jesamiah.

In this volume we are also introduced to the characters of Philippe Moreno, Jesamiah's bullying, vindictive, grasping brother and Stefan Van Overstreet, the wealthy and domineering Cape Town Dutchman who also wants Tiola as his wife - for all the wrong reasons. These main characters set the stage for what becomes a love story, a history of the pirate culture and a thoroughly engrossing story that you simply will not want to put down. I would advise that you have the entire series in your hands because as soon as one book ends you will feel the need to begin reading the next.

In reading the series I had so many questions about how Helen Hollick became enamored of the pirate culture and how that fascination led her to pen this most enjoyable, well researched series. What follows is my interview with the author.
  
MZJ:  What about the history inspired you to pen this series?
HH:
The first Pirates of the Caribbean movie – The Curse of the Black Pearl, was such a fun movie to watch, and parts of it had an authentic “feel” (sadly, unlike the following two movies in the series) The nautical terms, for instance, were correct – and while this was a fantasy movie made for entertainment not history, I enjoyed the “intent” of its nature. I wanted to learn more though. How much of it was ‘real’ – how much made up? I bought a couple of non fiction books to read while on vacation and settled down to read. And was hooked. The reality of pirates is far better than any fiction novel! What a raggedy lot of rogues they were! 


Being a writer, of course, all the information I was taking in just bubbled over into the realm of imagination – and before I knew it, I had the entire plot of Sea Witch, the first Voyage in the series, in my head. And within three month, down on paper (well on the computer!)



MZJ: What is it about pirate culture that inspired you?

HH:
Real pirates were not the pleasant, charming rogues of Treasure Island, Frenchman’s Creek – or Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow. They were mean, vicious, rapists, thieves, thugs and murderers. But then, so were most of the men of the army and navy in the eighteenth century! For some reason readers, especially us ladies of (ahem) a mature age, love the excitement of an adventurous rogue and the romantic adventures of daring-do. 



The reality of historical events – shipwrecks, treasure galleons, escaping (or not) the gallows. Smuggling, fights, duels – sex – well, who can resist the romantic lure of a fictional scallywag of a pirate?



MZJ: Did you base the characters of Jesamiah and Tiola on anyone who lived at that time? 
HH:

Captain Jesamiah Acorne is a made-up character, but he is a composite of the many famous pirates, the nearest, I suppose, being Jack Sparrow and Calico Jack – Jack Rackham. I liken him more, though, as a blend of Hornblower, Richard Sharpe, James Bond and Indiana Jones. A larger than life heroic figure, capable, brave, handsome – quick to laugh, formidable when angry. A man with two sides, the romantic lover, but the unrepentant killer. 



Tiola is even more made up. Her name, Tiola Oldstagh (say it as Teo-la Oldstaff) is an anagram of ‘all that is good’. She is a white witch, a healer and a midwife. A Wise Woman of the Light, her soul the reincarnation of her ancestors, her gift of Craft passed from grandmother to granddaughter down through the generations from the Dawn of Time. Her task – to protect human life from the Force of Evil - from the Dark Malevolents.



Although I call her a White Witch, she cannot do “spells” – her gift is more the ability to harness the energy that surrounds and binds us – more akin to the Force in Star Wars than the magic of Harry Potter



I suppose part of the reason why I wanted to create her character was to move away from the belief that witches are evil crones, bent on doing harm. Tiola can not commit harm to anyone, unless it is the only way to save herself. A fact that Jesamiah cannot always understand!




MZJ:  Did a specific ship inspire you to develop the  Sea Witch

HH:
While writing the first novel of the series, Sea Witch, I was not expecting to write an entire series – the subsequent adventures just sprang from the moderate success of the first book. Initially, I based the ship herself – the Sea Witch – on the Whydah and Queen Anne’s Revenge, both famous ships that have been extensively archaeologically explored and recorded. By the time I had decided to write the second Voyage – Pirate Code, however, I had gathered more information about Tall Ships and had discovered the love of my life – the Rose, better known as HMS Surprise from the movie Master & Commander. The love for this beautiful vessel was compounded when I met – by chance encounter – with the man who built the replica ship. I just had to use her as a template for Sea Witch, even though, technically, Rose/Surprise was built about 50 years after my stories are set. But these are adventure yarns, and are not meant to be historically accurate novels.







MZJ: Did you travel for research? How did you become so familiar with the terminology and flavor of the golden age of piracy?
HH:


I think sailing and tall ships must be in my genetic make-up, for many of the things I just “know.” My father was in the Marines for a while, he loved the sea (although he served in the Kings Royal Rifles during World War II)  I also know that many of my ancestors, on his side, came from Bristol – which back in the 17th and 18th centuries was the main sailing port in England. 


I research my sailing detail thoroughly, and a good friend, acclaimed maritime author James L. Nelson kindly edits and corrects for me. I suppose most of it I have gleaned as an avid reader –  a hefty chunk is pure imagination, and some of it is…. intuition maybe?


I have been, twice, to Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia where I have several scenes set in Bring It Close (the third Voyage) and because I have been to San Francisco, I may well set a future adventure on the Pacific Coast. (San Francisco Bay was not discovered until quite late, because the early sailors had no idea of what lay beyond that persistent, shrouding mist!) Book four – Ripples in the Sand is set in Devon, England, where I go quite often as my freelance editor, Jo, lives there. And of course early Georgian London will have to make an appearance at some point.


As for the rest… I have never been to Cape Town, the Caribbean – and come to that, I have never sailed on a Tall Ship….Not in this life anyway…






MZJ:  What do you consider to be the main cause for the elimination of the pirate culture? Do you think that the actions of the famous pirate, Blackbeard, figure into the demise?
HH:


Blackbeard – real name Edward Teach - was a nasty character. As mad as a hatter and probably riddled with syphilis, as most pirates (and sailors) were in those days. The only reason why we know so much about Blackbeard, and Jack Rackham (Calico Jack) with his fellow partners, the two women, Mary Reed and Anne Bonney – plus others such as Henry Morgan, Stede Bonnet, Charles Vane and William Kidd, is because they were caught, tried and hanged – or killed while attempting to be caught. 


The details of Blackbeard are in the Colonial Williamsburg records because Governor Spotswood of Virginia ordered the Navy under his command to put an end to Piracy along the Carolina and Virginia coast. Blackbeard was killed in the ensuing fight off the Ocracoke, but his surviving crew were taken for trial in Williamsburg, and were hanged there.


The same for Rackham and the two women, who were caught and tried in Port Royal. Rackham hanged, but “pleading their belly” (pregnant) the women were reprieved. Mary Reed died in jail, we do not know what happened to Anne Bonney (the subject of another Voyage – could Jesamiah have rescued her?) There were many more pirates whose deeds and exploits are ,lost to us because they were never caught (and I bet you those two above were not the only female pirates!)



Piracy, of course, still exists (off the Somalia coast for instance) but in its day, the Golden Age, piracy was a lucrative business for some of the more successful pirates. It was a short-lived phase, from around 1690 to about 1725. The cotton, sugar and tobacco trades were just starting to become profitable. There were no serious wars between England / France / Spain / Holland (though there were smaller ones in various combinations between these countries) Because there was no serious fighting there was a surplus of sailors, all without anything to do. Rumour spread of the treasure ships in the Arabian Ocean and then the Caribbean – the gold being transported by Spain, and the money to be made from tobacco and rum. 


There were several thousand pirates in the Caribbean in the early eighteenth century, Port Royal, Tortuga, Nassau were notorious pirate dens. At first there were only a handful of Royal Navy ships to counter the pirates – and even these few had no idea of Caribbean waters, weather, or sailing conditions. They could only careen (clean the ship’s hull of barnacles etc) in official Navy ports – could only provision there as well, while a pirate ship could go anywhere the crew wanted. The pirates ran rings around the Navy – until their actions started having a detrimental effect on trade. The English and Colonial merchants back in Philadelphia and London were losing money and demanded to have something done about it. Governors such as Alexander Spotswood and William Dampier did just that – and with better equipped and more capable Navy Captains. The tobacco ship convoys from Virginia became better organized and then there came the American War of Independence, followed almost immediately by the Napoleonic Wars when the Navies of America and England became the elite service we are familiar with. No match for a pirate.



MZJ: Did a particular plantation figure in your presentation of Jesamiah's family home? Was Philippe based on anyone who actually lived?
HH:


No Phillipe is entirely made up – I had to have a thoroughly bad character to balance Jesamiah – although the story of the relationship between the two “brothers” developed of its own accord. When I set out to write Sea Witch, I had no idea of the events that unravel in the third Voyage, Bring It Close.


I have researched the plantations of Virginia, and along the Rappahannock, but no, la Sorenta is not a real place.



MZJ :  How did you first become interested in writing historical fiction? Are you a history buff in general?
HH:


I hated history at school – it was taught in such a dull, boring manner. I only discovered history in my early twenties when I realized that King Arthur may have been a real person who lived in Post Roman Britain – I wanted to find out more abut him, and got hooked. And once bitten by the events of the past, it is not easy to lose the bug. After all, we are all a part of history – our ancestors, the mothers of our mothers, and fathers of our fathers, lived in the past. And how much of their DNA genetic memory has been passed down to us I wonder, for us to rekindle by revisiting the past – whether in fact or fiction?

For more about Helen Hollick and her truly amazing work you can her at:  

Website:      www.helenhollick.net
Facebook :  www.facebook.com/helen.hollick
The Sea Witch page:



 

Saturday, July 16, 2011

The Pirate's Are Coming ! Gearing Up For Helen Hollick

click here : www.helenhollick.net for more information about the author, the book tour and all of Ms. Hollick's wonderful books


I am thrilled to be a part of Helen Hollick's 2011 blog tour!  This will be my very first blog tour and I could not be any more thrilled that I was asked to participate. Helen Hollick is one of those writers who makes you want to know her better. Her attention to historical detail, well woven plots and full, rich characters all add up to books that you just never want to end.

The "Sea Witch" trilogy is the best that a pirate series can be. I may be a bit prejudiced, but I honestly believe that it has more plot depth than the ubiquitous "Pirates of The Caribbean" --- well Johnny Depp is good at whatever he does ! This is a wonderful series that I read with zest and thorough enjoyment.  

Helen Hollick is a very well know author who has written other books that are equally enjoyable. I predict that very soon she will be as well known on this side of the big pond as she is in her native UK.

I'll be reviewing each book in the "Sea Witch" trilogy and will be interviewing Helen as well. We'll get to have some insight into her pirate-ological interests. Additionally, one lucky person will have a chance to win a copy of  the first book in the series sent to them by Helen Hollick herself!

My reviews and interview will be on July 19,20 and 21.  The tour is already underway though - and here is the lineup of reviewers who get to join in the fun.

Hope to see you here in a couple of days for your introduction to Helen Hollick and to this wonderful trilogy !

July 2…………………..Passages to the Past with Amy Bruno

July 4…………………..Scribbles!  with Pauline Barclay
July 6…………………..Katzenhaus Books with Carolyn Schriber
July 7…………………..the Red Room with Christopher Gortner
July 8…………………..Deb’s Book Bag  with Debbie Lester
(stop here also on the 15th and 22nd)
July 9……………………VVB32 Reads  with Velvet
(stop here also on the 14th, 20th, and 27th)
July 11……………The Long and the Short of It  with Marianne and Judy
(stop here also on the 18th and 25th)
July 12……….. …..Richard’s Ramblings with Richard Denning
July 14…………………..VVB32 Reads  with Velvet
July 15……………………Deb’s Book Bag  with Debbie Lester
July 16……………………Mrs Q Book Addict  with Jennifer Robinson Quirion
(stop here also on the 23rd and 30th)
and…………………………Laura’s Reviews  with Laura Gerold
(stop here also tomorrow, the 17th)
July 17…………………..Shelf and Stuff  with Daphne
July 17…………………. Laura’s Reviews  with Laura Gerold
July 18…………………..Rundpinne  with Jennifer Higgins
July 18……………The Long and the Short of It  with Marianne and Judy
July 19……………………Books by the Willow Tree with Marie Z. Johansen
(stop here also on the 20th and 21st)
July 20……………………VVB32 Reads  with Velvet
July 20………….Books by the Willow Tree with Marie Z. Johansen
July 21………….Books by the Willow Tree with Marie Z. Johansen 
July 22……………………Laugh, Love, Write  with Jessica Hastings
(stop here also on the 29th)
July 22…………………….Deb’s Book Bag  with Debbie Lester
July 23………….Mrs Q Book Addict  with Jennifer Robinson Quirion
July 24……………………..Books for Life with Linda Akerman
(stop here also on the 25th, 26th, and 27th)
July 25………………The Long and the Short of It  with Marianne and Judy
July 25……………………..Books for Life with Linda Akerman
July 26……………………..Bibliophilic Book Blog  with Monica Schroeder
July 26………………………Books for Life with Linda Akerman
July 27………………………VVB32 Reads  with Velvet
July 27………………………Books for Life with Linda Akerman
July 28 ….Helen Hollick’s Guests - Bronwen Harrison, music for a Sea Witch
July 29……………………….Laugh, Love, Write  with Jessica Hastings
July 30……………Mrs Q Book Addict  with Jennifer Robinson Quirion
July 31……………………….Historical Fiction with Carla Nayland
Unspecified…………………Bookworm’s Dinner with Wisteria Leigh
Unspecified…………………  Floor to Ceiling  with Amanda Rutter
Unspecified………………….A Writer’s Life with Christy English