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Šarru-kēn – Empire Builder
The Historical Writers Forum releases its third anthology of short stories on November 1, 2023. This newest anthology, titled Masterworks, tells stories inspired by works of art. Because of my research into ancient Sumeria, I knew I wanted to tell a tale set in this intriguing era. Many people will be familiar with the name Sargon of Akkad, or at the very least, the Akkadian Empire. This fascinating man is the main character of this time period which is the stage for my story. While my short story was inspired by a musical instrument, I wanted to start off the celebration of this anthology by introducing readers to the man,…
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Enheduanna as Priestess
“The compiler of the tablets was Enheduanna. My king, something has been created that no one has created before.” The Temple Hymns 543-544 A man whose birth story is lost in the sands of time. Mythology says he was fished out of the river from a reed basket by a gardener in Kish who adopted him. He would become the cupbearer to a king. Eventually, he would sit on the throne of that very same king. Sargon of Akkad. He is one of the most familiar names to those who study ancient Mesopotamian history. But the story of his daughter is almost more intriguing to me. Because of the time…
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In the Land of Fire and Ashes: Progress Report
I’ve been silent about my current work-in-progress for a very, very long time. I apologize for that. It won’t surprise anyone when I say the last 18 months have been very… challenging. It’s been a year now since I last wrote about my one-on-one session with one of my writing inspirations, Stephen Lawhead. You can read the article I wrote about my time with him here. My primary purpose during my time with SRL was to work on the setting for my story. And boy did he ever help me! To summarize his advice, he told me I needed to find an anchor, something to root the reader into a…
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THE MIGHTY KINGMAKER—Traitor or Misunderstood?
Guest Post by J.P. Reedman Richard Neville, popularly known as Warwick the Kingmaker, was one of the movers and shakers of the 15th century. During the earlier part of the Wars of the Roses, he went from initial support of Henry VI to a staunch Yorkist supporting Richard Duke of York. After York and Warwick’s own father, the Earl of Salisbury, were killed by Lancastrian forces at Wakefield, he went on to assist York’s son Edward, his cousin, in his bid for the throne—but turned his coat when his relationship with Edward soured. Eventually he would ally himself with Henry VI’s Queen, Margaret of Anjou, marrying his daughter Anne (later…
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Book Inspiration: Raglan Castle
Originally posted April 17, 2019 A velvety wash of twilight purple cloaked the skies from one horizon to the other as our train of horses and palanquins traversed the sloping causeway into Croilton Castle, the ancestral home of the barons of Cilgaron. Royal pennants snapped in the rising winds carrying the tang of the oncoming rains, the musky yet fresh scent of moist air enveloping us as we reached the great gate. I thanked the gods that we arrived to the safety of this bastion just ahead of the downpour. – The King’s Furies, chapter 37 There is no secret that my books feel more historical than fantasy despite the fantasy label.…
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How best-selling author Stephen Lawhead gave me more work to do and other sundry things…
“What’s your theme?” I scrunched up my face, pursing my lips. “Um…” I paused, trying to find words. Wat-R-Werdz? I’m tongue-tied, not exactly sure how to answer. How does one put years’ worth of thought and consideration, writing, rewriting, and labor into a simple phrase? He probably thought I would answer “stuff and things”- my catch phrase for describing the thin1gs I don’t feel like writing. Like how to get characters from one room to the next in a chapter. The boring stuff. The tedious details that make up 75% of any book because characters can’t live in the exciting scenes in every moment. Sometimes they simply have to do…
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ARCHIVE: On Inspiration and How Kassia Came to Be
Inspiration is a funny thing. It’s often at its best when we aren’t looking for it, and when it comes calling, we’d better be prepared for the earth-shattering results when it’s taken seriously. Like so many other authors, I never dreamed of being one; though in all honesty, the signs were always there if only I’d been paying attention. As a child, I was a consummate daydreamer. My happy place was most often found wandering my grandparents’ farm in rural Nebraska, dreaming up intricate stories in my head. Writing in school came easily to me. When I was in college, the professor of my required creative writing class continually called…
