Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction discussion

Bobby wrote: "Been gone a while.
I guess I’m a rarity…I had a pretty good 2021! New grandson, new home in Hawaii, stayed in good health and completely retired. But I’m ready for another awesome year with 2022. H..."

This a bit late, but congrats on retirement and the additions

Oh boy, Bobby, that sounds like heaven. Imagine that. Right on the beach. You can walk the beach or have a swim every morning before breakfast.

Michelle wrote: "Has anyone read Hector Miller's Scythian? The reviews run the gamut from glowing praise to book bashing. I was considering whether or not I should bother buying it."

I haven't read this one. You're on your own on this one. Judging by my friends list, not many of us have read it, :-D

I think I must be, Terri :). I'll have to decide once I'm done reading Ben Kane.

Michelle wrote: "I think I must be, Terri :). I'll have to decide once I'm done reading Ben Kane."

Ive only got one whose read it on my friends list whose a generous marker normally & he's only given it a 3.....

Of note to me, in a prior life the author was a "chartered accountant" who i'd rank up there alongside "IT" professionals when it comes to writing dialogue ;) jus saying

Andy wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I think I must be, Terri :). I'll have to decide once I'm done reading Ben Kane."

Ive only got one whose read it on my friends list whose a generous marker normally & he's only gi..."

Ok, then! You could be right, Andy :) I'll just nix it.

Andy wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I think I must be, Terri :). I'll have to decide once I'm done reading Ben Kane."

Ive only got one whose read it on my friends list whose a generous marker normally & he's only gi..."

Hmmm. What do you think of dialogue written by the PA of an accountant, Andy? :D

don't even get me started about them ;)

Andy wrote: "don't even get me started about them ;)"

*cackles evilly*

Andy wrote: "don't even get me started about them ;)"


Andy wrote: "don't even get me started about them ;)"

*cackles evilly*


Mind the Duck.😉

Found this little historical nugget re: Henry VIII’s burial monument that I thought I’d share

https://hnn.us1.list-manage.com/track...

Jane Seymour gets a place by his side for eternity. Bummer for her.

I can hardly believe it, I won another giveaway book (through the book's publisher, not through GR). Mind you, after winning two in one week from publisher's ARC giveaways, I have been entering more giveaways than I ever have.

Terri wrote: "I can hardly believe it, I won another giveaway book (through the book's publisher, not through GR). Mind you, after winning two in one week from publisher's ARC giveaways, I have been entering mor..."

Lucky you!!

I know! I'm feeling like this is the start of a long run of freebies. haha. (trying to think positive). I guess you got to be in it to win it.

I used to enter giveaways on Goodreads all the time. I only ever won one and yet I entered A LOT.

Does anybody else win Goodreads giveaways? I imagine the number of people entering GR giveaways these days makes the chances of winning one extremely slim.

I've never won a giveaway from GR yet. Hopefully one day!

Terri wrote: "I can hardly believe it, I won another giveaway book (through the book's publisher, not through GR). Mind you, after winning two in one week from publisher's ARC giveaways, I have been entering mor..."

There’s your third win for it “comes in threes” lol. Fingers crossed your good luck continues!!

I have won from GR at least 6 times that I can remember (since becoming a member in 2012). I feel like there’s been a few more….the one time I won a book I was really really jazzed about, it never got to me! I was in the middle of moving and there was a postal issue with changing my address. On top of that, my evil ex-roommate kept turning away my packages that had already been in transit when I had to leave, instead of just letting me come collect them all. One was this book I’d won. I contacted Goodreads and set up my new address and everything; they kept telling me they’d send a new copy out but I never received it. I had won something after that so I know my address wasn’t the issue.

I rarely enter now but haven’t won again since that last time after having problems :(

erg. your evil ex-roommate sounds like an a-hole.
Gee, you were really left emotionally scarred by not receivng that book you wanted. haha. Maybe you should get back in the saddle. 😁

I did win years ago many times but haven't for at least 4 or 5 years.
I have entered but very rarely anymore.

I won a few jus after I first started on here, mainly only after id started writing reviews, which I think helps them pick you out? Was excited to win the first one which turned out to be a good yarn but some of the others I won were lets say somewhat iffy & part of the deal was you have to write a review which can be somewhat awkward.... if it's a right turkey & all the author's mates have already given it HIGH 5's! Plus once you win one, they seem to follow a lot afterwards.

I have won 3 over the years, but it feels like it has been awhile. I always sign in to Giveaways… unless it is an author I have read and have no desire to read again. I remain hopeful each time!!

Oh, apparently you have to have an Amazon account. I have one but haven't used it for years. Do they say somewhere you have to write reviews?

Frankly it sucks that Goodreads restricted it to US and Canadian residents only.

Margaret wrote: "Frankly it sucks that Goodreads restricted it to US and Canadian residents only."

I didn't realize that. It's certainly not fair, if so.

I didn't know that, either!

Margaret wrote: "Frankly it sucks that Goodreads restricted it to US and Canadian residents only."

That´s why I can´t enter either. :(

I didn't realise that. (what Margaret said). It has been years since I entered, and when I say years, I mean, years and years. Off the op of my head, at least ten.

Back then there were always a few Australian authors giving books away. Occasionally there were some UK authors who would ship to Australia. But the choices were slim and like Andy's experience, the quality of the giveaways was not great.

There were American members of our group who I used to see regularly winning giveaways, but when I think about it, back then, GR only had something like a million members (it may have been less than that even). So, I guess the chances were better.

To clarify a bit… of the 3 books I won, 1 was a print book & mailed to me. The other 2 were ebooks, which means it doesn’t matter where you live!!
So log in, sign on & cross you fingers!! 🤗

Jane wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Frankly it sucks that Goodreads restricted it to US and Canadian residents only."

I didn't realize that. It's certainly not fair, if so."

Yeah. They changed it about 4 years ago, I think it was.

If it makes all of you outside of the U.S. and Canada feel better, I'm American and I have never won any giveaways :)

Michelle wrote: "If it makes all of you outside of the U.S. and Canada feel better, I'm American and I have never won any giveaways :)"

I guess if it's ebooks people can read there's that Net Galley? I only read dead trees, so I'm stuck entering giveaways with publishing houses.

I'm an Australian author and I see no reason why I can't post a free copy of my book to anyone in Australia. Or is this breaking some crazy rule? I have 20 books to give away without any obligation at all, though a review would be much appreciated. I don't know much about Goodreads and I don't wish to offend. So, Anyone, please advise me if I am able to do this at Goodreads. I am happy to list the book's NetGalley URL, Amazon links, Reedsy reviews etc, so that people will know what they are getting. All advice much appreciated. Thanks!

Ross wrote: "I'm an Australian author and I see no reason why I can't post a free copy of my book to anyone in Australia. Or is this breaking some crazy rule? I have 20 books to give away without any obligation..."

Hi Ross, I don't think there is a rule about doing it unofficially. I have given away ebook copies of my books on here. We just can't use the GoodReads giveaway system.

Ross wrote: "I'm an Australian author and I see no reason why I can't post a free copy of my book to anyone in Australia. Or is this breaking some crazy rule? I have 20 books to give away without any obligation..."

Another suggestion to list your books: LibraryThing.

Thanks Margaret and Jane! The book is titled ‘The Complete Mirrored Sword’, 772 pages. Here is the NetGalley link:

https://www.netgalley.com/widget/3964...

It comprises two parts, which are sold separately at Amazon, available as epub and paperback. I’ll give the UK link for these, and you can make your way to your own marketplace from there:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09HSPY9S8

If anyone in Australia wants a free copy of the big paperback, drop me a message with an address, and I’ll post it asap. Only 20 copies so the first 20 to apply will receive it. The gift is obligation free but reviews will be much appreciated.

Hopefully I am not breaking any Goodread rules with all these promotions!

And here is the Goodreads connection:
Allan Hands

Just read this article re: ancient Roman mosaic found in Southwark!

Thought you would enjoy!
May


https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...

Alas, the site wouldn't allow me to scroll through like a Roman without first subscribing, but I still caught a fabulous glimpse of ancient Rome with modern skyscrapers in the background, all emblematic of history in the making. Of course Romans scroll sideways, whereas we do it vertically. Remnants of the past are everywhere.

Ross, your book sounds like a lot of fun!

Betsy, I see you ❤️. Yes, 'fun' is the keyword in the reviews I have had so far. Marketing a book however is more difficult than writing it, as I'm sure you know. It's like trying to defy the laws of physics, because you lose on the swings even when you gain on the roundabouts e.g. being a first time author, I'm selling on Amazon at bargain prices, hoping for more reviews to create buzz, but it seems people are shelving the books for some future use, and only very few have left reviews or ratings. It's one of the hazards of bargains, I guess. Originally I enrolled Part One with KDPS, as a free sample, enticing people to buy Part Two, but I now realise that that this left people in the middle of the story, feeling cheated somehow, because they had to buy the second part, and I have had a few poor reviews for Part One on that account. I have now combined the two parts in an omnibus, but it is aimed mainly at bookstores, which require an expensive RRP to cover the return of unwanted copies, despite a 50% discount. I don't want the bookstores to feel undercut by Amazon, so I pass the cost onto Amazon, and of course it is not getting any customers on Amazon. Anyway, it's a great book and I know it will succeed someday, despite the laws of physics, or my booboos. Meanwhile, I'm on with the next novel, building my portfolio.

As a sleeper in this group over several years, I wondered if it would be OK for me to mention the latest book review on my blog and which can also be found on the website of Medievalists.net. The focus is on early Medieval Britain as portrayed in three recent books (by Max Adams, Marc Morris and Rory Naismith) - "An unrecoverable reality? recent interpretations of post-Roman Britain" https://www.medievalists.net/2021/10/...
I have published two novels set in 6th century Britain, Glass Island and Iron Island. I was interested to read the recent comments by Ross about the problems of marketing self-published novels, which sounded all too familiar.
Other posts from my blog that may be of interest include:

1. “Britons, Fellow-Countrymen, Foreigners – For Wales, see Britannia”
https://englishhistoryauthors.blogspo...

2. “Changing Minds and Shifting Realities: The Idea of Wales and the Welsh in the Middle Ages”
http://www.medievalists.net/2018/06/i...

3. “Worlds of Arthur – Reflections on the Fictional World of Post-Roman Britain”http://www.medievalists.net/2018/11/w...

4. "Fiction Piled on Fiction:" The Uses and Abuses of King Arthur http://www.medievalists.net/2019/02/u...

5. "Celtic neighbours in the early Middle Ages: the Irish and the Welsh" https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/20...

6. "The Emergence of the English - a new interpretation and an old conundrum" http://www.medievalists.net/2019/09/e...

May wrote: "Found this little historical nugget re: Henry VIII’s burial monument that I thought I’d share

https://hnn.us1.list-manage.com/track..."
Surprised the article didn't mention the motives of those who followed Henry and therefore could've paid for his memorial. England was somewhat impoverished in those days and riven with religious/political discord. I don't know how much love Edward VI had for his father, but Mary would have had bugger all. Elizabeth could've done it eventually (I believe she loved - or at least respected her father and his office) but it was probably too late by then.

Adrian, my thoughts exactly.

Ross,
There is a freebie thread if you'd like to post you free ebook and dead tree offers there.
Can never guarantee the uptake, but the thread is there for all our author members to promote their giveaways.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Terri wrote: "Ross,
There is a freebie thread if you'd like to post you free ebook and dead tree offers there.
Can never guarantee the uptake, but the thread is there for all our author members to promote their ..."
Many thanks! 😊 Actually, I just discovered some typos in my book, so I'm discontinuing promotions till they're fixed, hopefully within a week. I thought I got rid of them all but maybe they are like fleas. I'm now in the happy position that few sales is a relief. It's too good a book to be sold with blemishes in it.

Typos as fleas is a terrific comparison, Ross! I like that one.

So I'm thinking that when you edit a review and you untick the box that says 'add to update feed', that it must still add the darn update to my feed. What a pain.

I was going through editing a few of my low rated reads from last year in order to make them sound less irritable negative. I was hoping for inoffensive negative review. lol.
I unticked the box, so they didn't all end up on my feed. But I think they did. :-]
One of them was a novel by a publisher who had recently given me a an advanced reading copy book. I just emailed them to thank them for the giveaway and giving them a link to the review. The review of that book was 5 stars ... but now it appears I have an update in my feed of a book of theirs which I gave 2 stars!
I hope they don't look at my feed, just go to the book I gave 5 stars and move on. lol

#fishingforlikes more like :D

haha. No. I don't chase likes. :-)
I just don't want the publisher to blacklist me and never send me anymore books to read! I'm getting pretty addicted to winning giveaways. I want more!

LOL, Andy! And Terri, that happened to me when I was adding a couple of books that I had read eons ago. I unchecked that box and it still went to my feed. So much for that! I must've been subconsciously fishing for likes myself ;)

GR is fairly random with a lot of things, for sure I've changed books into diffo folders before and it's had me fishing for likes too lols. someone post a reply on a book thread to you and nada in notifications.....

#blacklist2starTerri