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 This is a love story… an enduring love story between a little girl and an old house… Once upon a time a little girl went to visit an old moated manor house in an obscure corner of Worcestershire, called Harvington Hall. The house creaked and groaned with a history dating back to the Middle Ages. Secret hiding places called Priest Holes dotted the house in strange corners. The little girl came from Australia and she had never seen anything so old… so mysterious… and she began to imagine a world of people who may have lived in this old house called the Thornton family. The house became Seven Ways and the cast of imaginary inhabitants lived on with the little girl as she grew up. Over the years she scribbled stories, sketched illustrations, drew family trees, floor plans and breathed life into the imaginary world of the Thorntons and their home. The story became lost in the bottom of the drawer and forgotten until one day she dislocated her shoulder in a skiing accident and left alone in a ski lodge all by herself she began to write… and in no time at all she had written A BOOK. The little girl had become a writer and the BOOK became BY THE SWORD, the first in a trilogy of books set in the years of Oliver Cromwell's rule (1650-1660) - THE GUARDIANS OF THE CROWN.
 I was born in Kenya and have lived most of my life in Australia. Don’t get me wrong, I consider myself an Australian to my bones (Aussie Oi!), but I get the strangest sensation when I return to a particular corner of England—the Midlands and, more specifically, a band that runs along the southern edges of Birmingham from Worcestershire to Warwickshire. That is where my family origins are strongest and whenever I return there I know I am coming home. My grandfather lived in the little village of Clent in the north of Worcestershire and he knew and loved Worcestershire with a passion. So on one of those rare visits to England in 1970 he took me to Harvington Hall, which had always interested him (this painting was done by my step-grandmother in 1938 and it hangs in my study). Harvington Hall’s history dates back to Saxon times but the house itself is largely a late middle ages construct. In Tudor times it was owned by the Packington family and in the 17th century it fell into the hands of the Throckmortons (Throckmorton = Thornton… stream of consciousness!). The Packingtons and Throckmortons appear to have retained Catholic sympathies. Hence the Priest Holes… My favourite is the one concealed behind a pivoting beam in ‘Dr Dodd’s Library’. In 1970 an exploring chid could actually go into it. It’s in this priest hole that Kate and Nell hide Giles in By the Sword. I should add that while just about every old house in Worcestershire claims to have sheltered Charles II after the Battle of Worcester, there is no evidence he ever set foot in Harvington Hall—an oversight of history that I corrected in By the Sword. Of course Seven Ways is not an exact replica of Harvington Hall, but it’s similar enough to be recognisable. These days it is well loved and, although not a National Trust property, it has an active group looking after it, so if you happen to find yourself passing through the village of Chaddesley Corbett on your way to Kidderminster… do drop in. It is worth a visit! Over the years, BY THE SWORD has had a few incarnations... won or been shortlisted for major awards... but has always been the book of my heart! And it has just been re- released and is on sale until the end of September.  
If you have enjoyed my Guardians of the Crown trilogy (out now as a boxed set... click HERE) set in the years of the 'Interregnum" 1650-1660, then you are going to love Traitor's Knot by Cryssa Bazos.
Many former royalists were forced to take the road as highwaymen (James Hind being a great example) and it's against this background that Cryssa has set this story that begins in 1650. Highwaymen, royalists... what's not to love! (And I have a serious case of cover envy...) As I do with all my guests I asked Cryssa to share an interesting snippet she found in research and here she is to talk about literacy and news... Spreading the news in the 17th Century...
People in 17th century England weren’t as illiterate as you would expect. By the end of the century, it was thought that just under half of all men could read and over a quarter of women. Amongst the middle class, the majority was literate. This is the century when diary writing became a fad, and we’re still benefiting from their self-expression. But these estimates might not reflect what was really happening on the ground.
The significant increase in literacy over the previous century correlates with the explosion of printed material that floods the market in the mid-century. Broadsheets, newspapers and ballad sheets were all being turned out in record numbers. In fact the first newspapers, (e.g. Mercurius Politicus), were propaganda machines that helped fuel the civil war. Royalist and Roundhead each had their own publications pushing their agenda and that shaped public opinion. Really no different than today. The explosion in print occurred not only because of the advances in print technology (cheaper, faster presses), but an increased consumer demand for it. Not just any consumer— looking at what was being printed, one could see that the lower to middling classes were now the new consumer. For example, following the Battle of Worcester the authorities captured the famous highwayman Captain Hind and accused him of helping Charles II escape. Leading up to his trial, Londoners were snapping up stories about him faster than publishers could produce them. One publication, the English Gusman, depicted Hind as a Robin Hood figure whose exploits could appeal to the common man. Since the lower classes were the target market for these hot new publications, it’s a safe bet that more of them could read or had access to those who could read it for them.
About TRAITOR'S KNOT
England 1650: Civil War has given way to an uneasy peace in the year since Parliament executed King Charles I.
Royalist officer James Hart refuses to accept the tyranny of the new government, and to raise funds for the restoration of the king’s son, he takes to the road as a highwayman. Elizabeth Seton has long been shunned for being a traitor’s daughter. In the midst of the new order, she risks her life by sheltering fugitives from Parliament in a garrison town. But her attempts to rebuild her life are threatened, first by her own sense of injustice, then by falling in love with the dashing Hart. The lovers’ loyalty is tested through war, defeat and separation. James must fight his way back to the woman he loves, while Elizabeth will do anything to save him, even if it means sacrificing herself. Traitor's Knot is a sweeping tale of love and conflicted loyalties set against the turmoil of the English Civil War.
Read an excerpt...
Elizabeth Seton browsed the household stalls, strolling at her leisure. James walked towards her, his eyes fixed firmly on the prize. She hovered over a collection of linens, and her fingers brushed over the cloths, but she did not linger beyond a curious moment. James kept a discreet distance, ever narrowing the gap. One slim hand held her skirts, raising them slightly to avoid a muddy puddle before she continued on her way.
He halted his progress when she became rooted at the bookseller’s. While fancy ribbons and laces had not attracted her interest, a stack of pamphlets and chapbooks made the difference. She struck up a conversation with the bookseller, laughing at something he said. James rubbed his chin, engrossed. An unusual maid, he thought, and drew closer. Leaning over the small collection, her head tilted to peer at the titles. Hair secured in a sedate knot, a wayward tendril escaped its constraint. The wind lifted and teased the stray lock, contrasting to the paleness of her nape. James fought the urge to reach out and twist the strand in his fingers. He bent forward and addressed her in a low tone, “Are you looking to improve your mind, or to seek instruction?” Elizabeth started in surprise. Her eyes widened, and for the first time, he realised how blue they were. Almost immediately they narrowed, as though she wasn’t sure how to respond to his boldness. He knew he was being forward, but he had never won a thing without pressing his advantage. “I am looking for a book on good manners, sir. I would not expect you to recommend one.” Meet Cryssa Bazos..
Cryssa Bazos is an award winning historical fiction author and 17th century enthusiast with an oddly paired interest in both the English Civil War and romantic fiction. Her absolute favourite books are romantic adventures steeped in history. Traitor's Knot, her debut novel published by Endeavour Press, placed 3rd in the 2016 Romance for the Ages Ancient/Medieval/Renaissance) contest.
Connect with Cryssa through:
Facebook: (https://www.facebook.com/cbazos/) Twitter (@cryssabazos) Instagram: cryssabazos https://www.instagram.com/cryssabazos/ Website: https://cryssabazos.com |
Alison StuartAlison writes historical romances and short stories set in England and Australia and across different periods of history. Archives
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