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Who was the last Tsar of Russia? – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
Maybe not who you think. Most would say it was Nicholas II who, at that time, had been tsar for twenty-three years, but there was another with a claim to that distinction. During the February-March 1917 Russian Revolution, Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, Nicholas’s younger brother, left his home and family in Gatchina and went to…
The Lost Daughter by Gill Paul – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
The Lost Daughter by Gill Paul Because of DNA testing, we know Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna perished along with the rest of her family in a cellar room of the Ipatiev house in Ekaterinburg. In this book, the author imagines her survival. That part, I admit, was a little hard for me to swallow, but…
Celebration – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
Yes, it's celebration time here at Digging into the Past as I look toward the future. What is all the song and dance about? After years of struggling with such tedious matters as marketing and promotion (and often ignoring them), I have been accepted for publication by Ingenium Books, a hybrid company, whose owners live…
Review of The Consequence of Anna by Kate Birkin and Mark Bornz – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
This lengthy book is set in the 1930s on a cattle station in the shire of Esperance, Australia. Based on facts, it’s a tale of family, obsessive love, and madness. Anna sees things that aren’t there and speaks to her dead mother and sister and people who don’t exist. Her husband, James, is a gifted…
Review of The Consequence of Anna – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
The Consequence of Anna An epic love triangle This lengthy book is set in the 1930s on a cattle station in the shire of Esperance, Australia. Based on facts, it’s a tale of family, obsessive love, and madness. Anna sees things that aren’t there and speaks to her dead mother and sister and people who…
The Defenestrations of Prague – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
I was thrilled to be asked to host a blog post for E.M. Swift-Hook as part of a blog tour for the anthology, Masterworks, in which she wrote a wonderful short story called Blood on the Mountain, set in Prague. During her research, she came across a curious mode of assassination that seems to be…
The love of her life – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
Grand Duchess Olga wanted more than anything else to remain in Russia instead of marrying a foreign prince when she would have to change her Orthodox faith and possibly learn a new language. Prince Peter was not a very prepossessing fellow, but at least he was Russian despite his title, so she accepted his proposal.…
A new book – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
My new book (first draft completed - yesss!) is about Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovich, daughter of Tsar Alexander III and Tsarina Maria Feodorovna. formerly Princess Dagmar of Denmark. She was the youngest in a family of three boys and two girls. Most of her youth was spent in the palace of Gatchina with her brother…
Hello to all on this special day. – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
It is cover reveal day for The Disappearance of Michael Romanov. I am so excited to have finally reached this stage after the manuscript sat on the shelf for several months while I recovered from an illness that depleted my energy levels, both physical and mental- no, not covid. I'm still not entirely recovered, but…
The Colour of Bone by Toni Mount – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
Set in medieval London, the Colour of Bone is the 11th Sebastian Foxley murder mystery by the prolific Toni Mount. Seb, as he is known, is an illuminator by trade but also wears other hats when the occasion calls for it. As an artist, he makes the acquaintance of Robert Stillington, Bishop of Bath and…
Beneath the Waves by Melissa Addey – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
Set in Rome in the first century A.D. Emperor Titus wants a Naumachia, a water event including a mock sea battle and other features. After the first event, he is so pleased that he wants another the following year, on a grander scale, this one with deeper water and deadly aquatic creatures: eels, vipers, sharks…
Discovering her Worth by Harley Patrick – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
This book is like a Christmas hamper: There is so much good stuff in it, I hardly know where to begin and I won’t even attempt to repackage it in a short review. I will have to content myself with a brief list of the most delectable items. Such as, mother/daughter relationship; malicious sister-in-law; death…
Is this the dumbest thief ever? – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
The Son left the garage door open one night. In crept a thief – a hungry thief, who ate a Fibre One Bar from a shelf where the Family kept extra food. He took four longbows, several arrows, some tools, and two boxes of Fibre Ones. The thing that annoyed the Son most of all…
Platinum Jubilee – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
I have moved into a new house and have had no internet for a whole week! It was painful. So I have an awful lot of catching up to do. Here is my contribution to Discovering Diamonds' celebration of the Queen's Jubilee. It's from my novella Dark Spirit about King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Enjoy.…
Fortune’s Child by James Conroyd Martin – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
Excellent narrative of the early life of Empress Theodora, wife of Justinian I. Her story is told by Stephen, who was imprisoned by her, then released after 5 years when she is dying and wants an honest account of her life. The author describes her as a great beauty, and I’m sure she must have…
The White Rajah by Tom Williams – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
A fictionalised account of true events In his early thirties, James Brooke retired from the East India Company’s army and is looking for adventure and opportunities in the East. In the 19th century, the Dutch rule trade in the China Sea, but Brooke sees a chance to open trade with Borneo (Malaysia) for the British.…
The joys and horrors of moving – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
On June 1st. I moved from an apartment to a lovely house with a horrible garden. I left the apartment spotless, going back to clean the floor after the movers had departed. In visiting the house before buying, I saw the windows were extremely dirty but fully expected them to be cleaned up before we…
Brethren by Robb Pritchard – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
Set in present-day Northern Wales in A.D. 77, this story is a fictitious depiction of a true event. Four Dogs from an enemy tribe have been welcomed into the Clan of the Crows of the Ordo-Wiki tribe, and Cadwal knows he must kill them even at the cost of his own life. His failure to…
Tsar Nicholas II – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
My latest book, still in the editing phase, is set before, during, and after the Russian Revolution and contains lots of interesting characters, perhaps none more so than Nicholas Romanov. Nicholas was born on 19th May 1868, the eldest child of the Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich and Marie Feodorovna (formerly Dagmar of Denmark). He was only…
The Blue Dolphin by Kathryn Gauci – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
Another great book from an author who knows the country so well and writes of it so poignantly. Nefeli lives with her eight-year-old daughter Georgia and owns the Blue Dolphin Tavern near the coast on a small island. She was widowed four years earlier and is now struggling to make ends meet. The village ladies…
Lost Lady by Michael Reidy – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
I have often observed that writing a book is like making a cake. If you put in all the right ingredients, it is not entirely guaranteed success, but if you miss one out, it will surely fail. Imagine a book that lacks a basic ingredient and yet still manages to be a wonderful, intoxicating…
Alexandra Feodorovna Empress of Russia – DIGGING INTO THE PAST
The youngest of five siblings, Alexandra, was born Alix of Hesse and by Rhine on the 25th May 1872. Alix met her future husband Nicholas at the wedding of her elder sister Ella to Grand Duke Sergei of Russia and returned for another visit six years later when they fell in love. Alix at 15.…