Behind The Scenes

Inspired by family stories, archives, and ancestral homes from Lydiard Park to the Tower of London, my days are spent exploring portraits, diaries, graveyards, and lost gardens. Occasionally I discover secrets and solve mysteries. Or encounter a ghost or two.

Lucy’s Lost Physick Garden in the Tower

10 Jun 2018

When I was back at the Tower a few weeks ago, imagine my delight when my Beefeater guide informed me that Lucy’s lost garden is going to be restored. The… Continue reading Lucy’s Lost Physick Garden in the Tower


What was it like to live in the Tower?

24 Apr 2018

Next month I head back to the Tower of London for some behind-the-scenes research on my latest book. When I was last there, I took a few photos from inside… Continue reading What was it like to live in the Tower?


By Love Divided – “An Epic Story of a Civil War Family”

12 Apr 2018

Thrilled with this wonderful review of By Love Divided which appeared today in Reading the Past, one of the best historical fiction blogs around. “The novels in Elizabeth St. John’s… Continue reading By Love Divided – “An Epic Story of a Civil War Family”


The Recipes Project – Magical Charms to Herbal Remedies

3 Feb 2018

I was recently asked to contribute to The Recipes Project, an international group of scholars interested in the history of recipes, ranging from magical charms to veterinary remedies. Old recipes… Continue reading The Recipes Project – Magical Charms to Herbal Remedies


A Wonderful Evening of Literature at Lydiard

22 May 2017

http://www.lydiardtrust.org.uk/standing-room-only-for-lydiard-festival-of-literature-events/ Continue reading A Wonderful Evening of Literature at Lydiard


The Court at Oxford

16 Oct 2016

I was fortunate to be able to attend the HNS Conference in Oxford last month, and took the opportunity to explore the Colleges that housed the royal court during the… Continue reading The Court at Oxford


English Historical Fiction Authors: “The Six Lady St.Johns”

12 Jun 2016

I recently was asked to contribute an article to the English Historical Fiction Authors blog, and very much enjoyed writing the “back story” to The Lady of the Tower. We writers… Continue reading English Historical Fiction Authors: “The Six Lady St.Johns”


17th Century Author Spotlight

16 Apr 2016

I really enjoyed Cryssa Brazos’s thoughtful interview, and the interaction with her readers. I bumped into Cryssa at the Historical Novelist’s Conference in Denver last year. It was great to… Continue reading 17th Century Author Spotlight


Lady Johanna’s Booke

1 Dec 2015

Lady Johanna Sainte John gathered recipes and physicks from friends and family throughout the late 1600’s. Compiled in a leather-bound book of some 300 pages, many of the recipes credit both… Continue reading Lady Johanna’s Booke


1 … 3 4 5