The Issue 45, August 2008, ISSN 1471-7492 HistoricalNovelsReview A publication of the Historical Novel Society Make War Not Ken KreckelLove consults Jeff Shaara, Steven Pressfield, and more about the trends in historical fiction for men In this issue... Editorial 1 Historical Fiction Market 1 Plus... News History & Film: Susan Higginbotham interviews Catherine Delors 3 The Name of the Rose about Mistress of the Revolution, Rose Melikan discusses The Blackstone Key, Andrew Thompson What’s Your Research Style? 17 looks at time & place in Arthurian fiction, Plus... publisher Mills & Boon celebrates its centenary, and coverage of the 2008 UK HNS Conference Editors’ Choice & reviews 18 The Contents Editorial istorical ovels eview Editorial H N R Bethany Latham 1 Historical Fiction Market News Issue 45, August 2008, ISSN 1471-7492 ColumnsSarah Johnson 1 History & Film: The Name of the Rose Where the Boys Are Historical Fiction Market News Hannah Sternberg 3 s we bade a Please continue to Features & Interviews A send information on Make War Not Love fond farewell to Ken Kreckel explores the trends in Mary Sharratt and publishing deals and men’s HF 5 other news to me at Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité Sally Zigmond in the Catherine Delors talks about Mistress of previous issue, so we [email protected]. the Revolution 8 The Blackstone Key bid a warm welcome Doug Kemp interviews Rose to their replacement HNS Announcements Melikan 10 As Bethany “In Divers Places...” editors, Edward James and Alan Fisk, Andrew Thompson examines time and mentioned in May’s HNR, this will be in this issue. For more information on place in Arthurian fiction 12 reviews editor Mary Sharratt’s last issue. Happy 100th Birthday, Mills & Boon! Edward and Alan, see Sarah’s column, A publisher profile by jay Dixon 14 We wish her the best of luck in her writing 11 and meanwhile, welcome aboard, gen- endeavors and look forward to reading her 2008 UK HNS Conference tlemen! Sarah Cuthbertson reports 16 next historical novel, about the Pendle What’s Your Research Style? Take the Quiz! And speaking of gentlemen, we have witches. Susan Higginbotham unveils your true a very interesting cover piece for you research nature 17 Taking over for Mary is Edward James, Reviews this issue. We’ve seen a great deal lately a native of Kent now living in Cheltenham. Editors’ Choice in the way of articles that focus on his- Among other accomplishments, he is a & More 18 torical fiction written with women as former university lecturer and consultant the target audience. So we thought that with several books on social policy and local history to his credit, though his current it might be interesting to get a male per- ambition is to publish a work of fiction. Edward’s interests include the 16th century and spective on the state of things in histori- WWII; he has reviewed for the HNS for three years. cal fiction. Ken Kreckel has stepped up Alan Fisk, another longtime reviewer and HNS member, will take over for Sally to the challenge by consulting authors Zigmond effective next issue. Alan, a technical writer who lives and works in London, Jeff Shaara, Steven Pressfield, and more has had five historical novels published, of which two are still in print: Forty Testoons (set in 1504 Newfoundland), and (16th-century Florence). on the subject of historical fiction for Cupid and the Silent Goddess Contact details for Alan and Edward are on the page opposite. We’d like to welcome men. them both to the editorial team. Also in this issue, you’ll find inter- views with Catherine Delors, author Contest News of Mistress of the Revolution, and Rose With the support of Penguin UK, the HNS is running two book giveaway contests Melikan, author of The Blackstone Key. open to UK members. See p. 61 for how to enter. Andrew Thompson (with a little help To celebrate the centenary of his birth, the Royal Institution of Cornwall (RIC) from Myfanwy Cook) takes a look at announces the Winston Graham Historical Prize for Literature. A £5000 prize will historical settings and Arthurian fic- be awarded in its inaugural year, for an unpublished work of historical fiction, preferably tion, and jay Dixon profiles publisher with a clear connection to Cornwall. Pan Macmillan, who have re-issued Graham’s Mills & Boon on its centenary. Susan twelve Poldark novels, will consider the winning entry for publication. For details, visit Higginbotham provides a helpful quiz http://www.royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk and click on “Prizes.” Deadline is 31 March to help you determine exactly what type 2009. of a researcher you are (don’t worry, re- sults remain confidential) and last, but Historical Fiction Seminar certainly not least, Sarah Cuthbertson The 27th annualKey West Literary Seminar, two separate 4-day events to be convened in January 2009, will be devoted to “historical fiction and the search for truth.” Speakers fills us in on the goings on at the 2008 will include Andrea Barrett, Russell Banks, Madison Smartt Bell, Geraldine Brooks, UK HNS Conference, which was held Francisco Goldman, Thomas Mallon, Barry Unsworth, and Gore Vidal, among oth- in April at the National Railway Mu- ers. For details and to register: http://www.kwls.org/lit. seum in York. Enjoy! Bethany Latham New Publishing Deals Sources include Publishers Marketplace, Publishers Weekly, The Bookseller, and more. - 1 - Historical Fiction Market News Historical Novels Review Issue 45, August 2008 Sarah Hoyt’s untitled novel about Katherine Howard, fifth Helen Heller. wife of Henry VIII, who plied love as a weapon better than Kenneth Wishnia’s The Fifth Servant, set in 16th century most, but not well enough to survive court machinations, sold to Prague during the Inquisition, sold to Jennifer Brehl at William Ginjer Buchanan at Berkley, by Lucienne Diver of The Knight Morrow, by Leigh Feldman at Darhansoff, Verrill, Feldman. Agency. Lady Macbeth author Susan Fraser King’s Saint Margaret of Sweeping Up Glass, Carolyn D. Wall’s debut novel about Scotland, exploring the life of pious Queen Margaret, the wife of mothers and daughters, poverty and prejudice in the 1930s Malcolm III, sold to Heather Proulx at Crown by agent Karen American South, sold to Bantam US at auction, for a six- Solem. figure sum, and to Laura Palmer at Quercus (UK and James Becker’s The Last Apostle, positing an earth-shattering Commonwealth). what-if about the birth of Christianity, first in a new series, Helen Humphreys’s The Frozen Thames, chronicling the forty sold to Brent Howard at NAL by George Lucas at Inkwell times that this fabled river completely froze from the years 1142 Management on behalf of Luigi Bonomi at LBA (US). to 1895, sold to Caitlin Alexander at Bantam Dell at auction, by Lorenzo Borghese’s The Princess of Nowhere, centering on Bill Hanna of Acacia House. the romance and relationship of Camillo Borghese and Pauline Commonwealth Prize for overall Best Book winner Lawrence Bonaparte in early 19th century Rome, sold to Lucia Macro at Hill’s The Book of Negroes (an Editor’s Choice selection last Avon, by Ian Kleinert at Objective Entertainment. November, under the US title Someone Knows My Name), a Jane Rusbridge’s debut The Devil’s Music, a story of family fictional slave narrative, sold to Marianne Velmans at Doubleday secrets and betrayal that includes Harry Houdini, sold to UK by Claire Roberts at Trident Media Group, on behalf of Helen Garnons-Williams at Bloomsbury UK, for publication Ellen Levine. in summer 2009, in a two-book deal, by Hannah Westland at Erica Eisdorfer’s The Wet Nurse’s Tale, following a smart and Rogers, Coleridge & White (UK/Commonwealth). resourceful country girl who makes her living by nursing the children of wealthy families, who, she discovers, are often not In Stores Soon as they seem, sold to Rachel Kahan at Putnam, by Alexandra th Caroline Rance’s Kill-Grief, her debut novel, set in an 18 - Machinist. century hospital and about a young woman whose determination Sheramy Bundrick’s The Sunflowers, which imagines Vincent to escape her past leads her into life as a nurse in a world of disease, Van Gogh’s relationship with the Arles prostitute to whom he surgery and rotgut gin, will appear from Picnic Publishing in gave his severed ear, sold to Lucia Macro at Avon, for publication January. in Fall 2009. C. C. Humphreys’ Vlad: The Last Confession, about the Glynnis Campbell’s two untitled historical romances, set historical Dracula, will appear in September from McArthur & along the border of Scotland in the time of Mary Queen of Co (Canada) and next March from Orion (UK). Scots, sold to Frances Jalet-Miller and Amy Pierpont at Grand Biyi Bandele’s , described as the first novel to Central, by Helen Breitwieser at Cornerstone Literary. The King’s Rifle depict the experiences of black African soldiers in the Second The House at Riverton and The Forgotten Garden author Kate World War, will appear from Amistad/HarperCollins US next Morton’s The Distant Hours, a historical mystery of wartime April. romance, broken promises and almost-forgotten secrets, sold to Maria Rejt at Pan Macmillan, in a two-book deal, by Julia Lee The Miracles of Prato, a novel by Laurie Albanese and Laura at Allen & Unwin. Morowitz about the passionate romance between Renaissance painter-monk Fra Filippo Lippi and a young nun, is slated to Susan Vreeland’s Clara and Mr. Tiffany, about the achievements and struggles of the most gifted designer in Tiffany’s workshops, appear from HarperCollins US in January. and a second novel, sold to Jane von Mehren at Random House, The Princes in the Tower are the subject ofEmma Darwin’s A by Barbara Braun at Barbara Braun Associates.