Illustrated Tales of Warwickshire, and Director’s Cut: Works in Progress

Hello! On today’s blog I share what I’m up to at the moment – writing, researching, editing, promoting. I have two books on the go, which makes life interesting! Firstly, I’m working on my new non-fiction book for Amberley Publishing, Illustrated Tales of Warwickshire. The fully completed manuscript has to be delivered by the endContinue reading “Illustrated Tales of Warwickshire, and Director’s Cut: Works in Progress”

#BookReview Paranormal Warwickshire by @scskillman #TuesdayBookBlog #Paranormal #localhistory #Warwickshire

Originally posted on Shelley Wilson Author:
Title: Paranormal Warwickshire Author: S.C. Skillman Category: Non-Fiction Unexplained Mysteries My Rating: 5 Star Book Blurb: Warwickshire is a county steeped in the supernatural, as befits the county of Shakespeare and the many ghosts and spirits that he conjured up in his works. The towns and villages of Warwickshire,…

Thoughts on ‘Witch Child’ by Celia Rees

Today I share my review of ‘Witch Child‘ by Celia Rees, now out in a special 20th Anniversary edition. This is a compelling historical novel of the arrival of a group of Puritans in New England in 1650, of their encounters with the Native Indians, and a tale not only of religious intolerance but ofContinue reading “Thoughts on ‘Witch Child’ by Celia Rees”

Thoughts on the Tudors and ‘The Taming of the Queen’ by Philippa Gregory

The Tudors have been popular for the last few years, in books and films and TV programmes. And whatever we think of Henry VIII as a man, he was certainly a gift to history. For he must be one of the most memorable of all characters in the story of Britain. Never mind that heContinue reading “Thoughts on the Tudors and ‘The Taming of the Queen’ by Philippa Gregory”

Naturewatch in St Nicholas Churchyard Kenilworth

Last Sunday St Nicholas Church Kenilworth held a ‘Naturewatch’ in the churchyard. The church is close to the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey and Abbey Fields, which feature in my book Paranormal Warwickshire. The Naturewatch took us on a walk around the churchyard identifying a variety of beautiful and curious things – flowers, trees, gravestones,Continue reading “Naturewatch in St Nicholas Churchyard Kenilworth”

Book Review: ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ by Anthony Doerr

Today I share with you my review of this immersive vision of life among the French Resistance in the 2nd World War. Review The story of All the Light We Cannot See tells of Marie Laure, a blind girl living in Paris in the 1930s with her father, a museum locksmith and miniaturist. Marie Laure’sContinue reading “Book Review: ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ by Anthony Doerr”

Book Review: ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ by Delia Owens

Today I share my review of this enchanting novel by nature writer Delia Owens. ‘Where the Crawdads Sing‘ by Delia Owens is set in the swampland of the North Carolina coast. Kya, the main protagonist, is abandoned by her family members one by one until, at the age of seven in the year 1952, sheContinue reading “Book Review: ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ by Delia Owens”

Book Review: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Today I share a review of this historical gothic fantasy set in1950s Mexico. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a rich feast for lovers of gothic sinister-mansion stories. Creepy, disturbing, sensuous, all the tropes are here. The story takes our main protagonist, Noemi Taboada, a lively socialite, into a truly menacing setting in a mountainContinue reading “Book Review: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia”

Book Review: The Thorn of Truth by S.L. Russell

Today I am pleased to be reviewing an Advance Review copy of the latest novel by author S.L. Russell: The Thorn of Truth. Having read three of this author’s previous novels I see her as a writer who opens up major ethical issues in our contemporary society, in such a way that they present aContinue reading “Book Review: The Thorn of Truth by S.L. Russell”

Book Review: Spirited by Julie Cohen

Today I share with you my review of Spirited by Julie Cohen, published by Orion July 2020. I loved this book; I found it enchanting, and it gripped me throughout. Set in the mid nineteenth century in England and India, the story covers spiritualism, so-called “spirit photography”, the oppression of women in Victorian times, andContinue reading “Book Review: Spirited by Julie Cohen”