Here's what I've been working on: a sneak peak of Sons of Alba, the sequel to Daughters of Alba. In this scene, young Donnchad has recently arrived at Sgain, the royal capital of Alba, to be fostered at the court of the Ard Righ. Donnchad stood politely still as the two older men conversed, but… Continue reading Tuesday Critique: Donnchad and Liosa
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Monday Motivation: Finding the Why
Ever had that moment where you look at the house you have to clean or the report you have to write or the manuscript you have to edit and say "Why am I even doing this?" (Parents of young kids who try to keep their house clean can really relate) There are plenty of things… Continue reading Monday Motivation: Finding the Why
Friday Fact: The Real Macbeth
You might have read Shakespeare's dark drama Macbeth in school: a grasping noble kills his aging king to seize the Scottish throne then lives and dies tormented by guilt and fear. But did you know that Macbeth was a real Scottish king? While researching for my latest wip Sons of Alba, I came across some… Continue reading Friday Fact: The Real Macbeth
Writer Wednesday: Immerse Yourself in Setting
Writing historical fiction has changed a lot over the past decade. I know this because I wrote Daughters of Alba ten years ago with only the benefit of a handful of books from my local library. Now that I'm writing Sons of Alba, I'm finding a plethora of information on the web that simply wasn't… Continue reading Writer Wednesday: Immerse Yourself in Setting
Critique Tuesday: Sons of Alba
Here's the opening excerpt from my new work in progress, Sons of Alba. It's a sequel to my recently published 3 part saga, Daughters of Alba, so if you haven't read Daughters, here's your SPOILER ALERT. In this scene, Anndrais, the family patriarch, has gathered his family to receive his last blessing, and we are… Continue reading Critique Tuesday: Sons of Alba
Monday Motivation: 5 Reasons to use a Timer
You wouldn't think something as simple as a timer could revolutionize the way you work. But when I discovered Flylady.net about 10 years ago, the timer was the single most useful thing I picked up from her highly useful system. Now I'm not much of a last minute person, so I thought using a timer… Continue reading Monday Motivation: 5 Reasons to use a Timer
Friday Fact: How to pronounce Gaelic
My latest books, Daughters of Alba, have a lot of Gaelic (Gaidhlig) in them. A lot. When I wrote them I was having fun with learning the language and trying to make my work as authentic as possible. But some of my early readers begged me for a pronunciation guide. So, in honour of D… Continue reading Friday Fact: How to pronounce Gaelic
Thursday Titles: Daughters of Alba
So, I don't like to toot my own horn ... usually. But I have to share this. The very first novel I ever wrote is finally out, after a decade gathering dust. Daughters of Alba is the story of three sisters in early medieval Scotland, and it's been broken into three e-novellas. Book One:… Continue reading Thursday Titles: Daughters of Alba
Writer Wednesday: How to deal with word-count restrictions
Ever read a story that felt too rushed? I don't mean those great books that you wished never ended. I mean the ones where you get to the end and say "what just happened?" I've read some bestselling authors who clearly faced the pressure to get a book in under word count and on time.… Continue reading Writer Wednesday: How to deal with word-count restrictions
Critique Tuesday: Jennie Under Siege
It's finished! My first draft of Legacy of Faith is finished after nearly a decade of research and writing. To celebrate, here'a an excerpt. This is the very beginning of the siege, when Jennie goes into the Peking foreign legations and anticipates the trouble to come. June 20, 1900: Peking, China The foreign legations of China… Continue reading Critique Tuesday: Jennie Under Siege
Erin E. M. Hatton 