Penmore Press

07/12/2023

Does this hold true for novels and novelists as well? www.penmorepress.com

“You want a poem to register in every mind the way it did in yours. Then you discover this never happens. Still, it is what you strive for.”

From our interview with Louise Glück in our new Winter issue. https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/8035/the-art-of-poetry-no-115-louise-gluck

05/12/2023

Today, December 5th, is Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) Day in The Netherlands, the day when children receive presents, including chocolate letters, often the child's initial. Here is a photo of Sinterklaas arriving by boat in 's-Hertogenbosch (by MarkDB shared on wikimediacommons.) https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/chocolate-letters

04/12/2023

CONGRATULATIONS TO James Keffer, Author!!! His novel _Brewer's Private War_, the 8th book in his Hornblower's Legacy series, has just come out in both paperback and kindle! Brewer's orders are to take HMS Revenge to hunt down the pirates who've been ravaging the trade routes of the Caribbean... but then it gets personal! https://www.penmorepress.com/project/james-keffer/

01/12/2023

This fascinating news story brings to mind Rod Vick's thriller _The Book of Invasions_ which also begins with Egyptian artifacts found in a paradoxical place: Greenland! https://www.penmorepress.com/project/rod-vick/

Archaeologists in Scotland may have finally solved the mystery of how ancient Egyptian artifacts that were unearthed in school grounds between 1952 and 1984 became buried there.

30/11/2023

The story of Madeleine L'Engle--who attained international fame as a writer after 30 rejection letters for what became her most famous work--is an encouragement to authors everywhere! (see below) https://www.penmorepress.com/authors/

“Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.”
― Madeleine L'Engle

, Madeline L'Engle was an American author of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and young adult fiction. Her passion for both her religious faith and modern science is reflected in her work, with her YA novel, A WRINKLE IN TIME, being one of the best examples of the combining of her interests.

L'Engle was born in New York City and began her writing career at a young age. At five, she wrote her first story and at eight, she began keeping a journal. However, these early attempts at writing didn't gain her much esteem from the teachers at her private school as a child; L'Engle was shy and clumsy as a girl, and thus many of her teachers looked down on her, even considering her unintelligence. Because of her inability to please her teachers, she withdrew and immersed herself in her books and writing.

A few years after graduating cm laude from Smith College in 1941, she published her first two novels THE SMALL RAIN and ILSA, though neither brought her much success. years later, when L'Engle received yet another rejection letter, she nearly quit writing, determined to give it up by her 40th birthday, but she quickly realized her fire would not be put out and she continued writing.

Around 1959, Madeline L'Engle got the idea for her most famous novel, A WRINKLE IN TIME, and after being rejected over 30 times, it was finally published in 1962. After this, L'Engle continued writing for adults and children, including a series of autobiographical memoirs. Many of her books won numerous awards, but L'Engle herself received many honors as well, including medals, an ALAN Award, the annual Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association, and even held a two-year term as the president of the Authors Guild.

29/11/2023

Modern-day Tall Ship Lynx has reached her winter harbor in St. Simons Island, Georgia! Congratulations to her crew for a job well done! Now that you've stood down for the winter, maybe you'd like to enjoy some literary nautical adventures from our many offerings at Penmore Press, including Marc Liebman's _Death of a Lady_, some of which takes place near your winter berth, in the port of Charleston, South Carolina. https://www.penmorepress.com/nautical-fiction/

28/11/2023

The French web journal Trois-Ponts - Histoire navale asks "Is it true that the French navy has almost always lost against the British navy?" Here's their count:

Under the Old Regime, from the War of the Ausbourg League (1688-1697) to the war of American Independence (1775-1783), 37 major battles of French-British squads can be counted.
15 of these battles were won by the French Navy and 10 by the British Navy. The other 12 were truly undecided.
These numbers may surprise you.
https://www.penmorepress.com/nautical-fiction/.

On ne devrait pas résumer l’histoire d’une marine aux seules batailles qu’elle a livrée. Je vais pourtant le faire ici afin de répondre à une question que l’on me pose souve…

27/11/2023

Instead of a commander's cabin, here's a "you-are-there" view of what it was like for sailors working waaaay above deck during the Age of Sail. Thanks to Philip K Allan, author of the Alexander Clay series, for sharing this arresting view. https://www.penmorepress.com/nautical-fiction/

Furling upper Tops'l by American Marine artist Christopher Blossom

25/11/2023

Another naval set from the new Napoleon movie. On the Trois-Ponts - Histoire navale page there was a discussion (in French) with 22 replies about the use of this ship in the movie. One commentator called it a "Playmobil" ship. Another said using it was "surreal and incomprehensible" ... "everything is fake in this floating set". Another commented: "A shoddy, if not grotesque, replica, of an 18th-century vessel. A cardboard ship that would fit well in an amusement park!" I've invited them to comment here (in English :-)) . Any thoughts on this? Meanwhile, you can find plenty of thrilling, detailed and accurate depictions of the Napoleonic Wars at Penmore Press. https://www.penmorepress.com/nautical-fiction/

La frégate l'Etoile du Roy, réplique d'un navire du XVIIIe siècle, apparait à plusieurs reprises (lors de la bataille de Toulon et du retour de l'île d'Elbe notamment) dans le film Napoléon de Ridley Scott.

24/11/2023

Thinking of holiday fun, here's a side of the nineteenth century's literary superstar you never knew...

With flair and fire, he turned mixology into a performance.

22/11/2023

Philip K Allan, author of the Alexander Clay series set during the Napoleonic Wars, follows up on his post with the photo of Nelson's cabin aboard HMS Victory: "For those who liked my recent post of Nelson’s Day cabin on the Victory – here it is again – in Ridley Scott’s latest film. Showing Wellington meeting Napoleon onboard HMS Bellerophon (which never happened)" Anyone care to share views on the film?
https://www.penmorepress.com/project/philip-k-allan/

⚓ If you've been onboard HMS Victory you may recognise this room.

🎞️ Ridley Scott’s latest film, Napoleon, includes a scene that is sure to get a few history buffs talking; Wellington meeting Napoleon onboard HMS Bellerophon.

Although this scene is fictitious and no such meeting between the two men ever took place, the setting is based on historical fact.

Read more here in our Blog from Ed Mayhew, Curator at the National Museum of the Royal Navy - https://bit.ly/3G6ElRk



📷 Apple TV

21/11/2023

For all fans of the Hornblower series and the many novels it has inspired (for example, James Keffer, Author's Hornblower's Legacy series https://www.penmorepress.com/project/james-keffer/) the Dawlish Chronicles has provided an overview of the entirety of C.S. Forester's work and information about a book on the subject!

Hornblower aficionados will find it worthwhile to run down a copy of the critical study “C.S. Forester and the Hornblower Saga” by the American naval officer academic Sanford Sternlicht. The title is misleading as the author addresses all Forester’s novels, not only those of the Hornblower series, though not the non-Hornblower short-stories. It offers insights to Forester’s development as a writer beyond those he himself provided in his Biography “Long Before Forty.” It is of especial interest to anybody not familiar with Forester’s “Non-Hornblower” fiction. His range was vast, including:

Two crime novels reminiscent of Patricia Highsmith’s work, and one of which, “Payment Deferred”, rivals Zola’s “Therese Raquin” in its depiction of financial and sexual desperation in a certain time and place of history;

Two superb Peninsular War novels. The first is “Death to the French” (called “Rifleman Dodd” in the US), a chilling account of descent into savagery of invader and invaded alike as Napoleonic total war engulfs Portugal. The second is “The Gun”, an almost Homeric tale in which the weapon itself is the hero.

“A Captain from Connecticut”, an American Navy Hornblower-type novel set in the War of 1812, one of his weaker efforts.

Two superb depictions of naval warfare in WW2 – “The Ship”, dealing with one day of the service of a RN light cruiser in the Mediterranean, and “The Good Shepherd” about a USN destroyer on convoy es**rt during the Battle of the Atlantic (Recently filmed, very well, as “Greyhound”). For me, “The Ship” is Forester’s best book of any type.

“One-off” novels, including “Brown on Resolution” (Royal Navy, WW1), “The General” (British Army WW1) “The African Queen” (East Africa WW1), “The Earthly Paradise" (Columbus 1492) and the amazing “The Sky and the Forest” (A stunning novel, set against the background of Arab Slaving in East Africa in the late 19th Century).

Forester published one book which seems to have been thought would be the first a series – this is “Randall and the River of Time” (late Ww1 and its aftermath). Unfortunately, there were to be no follow-ups – It had great promise for further novels.

Forester’s one foray into science fiction, “The Peacemaker”, was disappointment and he never attempted this genre again.

Regardless of genre, the abiding theme in all Forester's work is "The Man alone" - the man who carries responsibilities and does not shirk them, who must take hard decisions, often with nobody to turn to, and whose actions may earn approval if successful but repudiation if not.

If you’re a Hornblower fan, you’ll most surely enjoy most of the above!

21/11/2023

In this post Philip K Allan tells of an amazing and pivotal feat during the Age of Sail! https://www.penmorepress.com/project/philip-k-allan/

On This Day – in 1759, the Battle of Quiberon Bay – one of the age of sail’s most spectacular battles. Fought in a gale on a dangerous lee shore, Sir Edward Hawke thwarted a planned French Invasion when he defeated the French fleet under the Comte de Conflans off the coast of Brittany.
The naval song Hearts of Oak was composed to commemorate the victory.

17/11/2023

For those of you who have a historical novel that hasn't yet been published in any for... www.penmorepress.com

The HNS UK 2024 First Chapters Competition is for the first three chapters of a full-length historical novel that has not been previously published in any form. We are looking to recognise and prom…

16/11/2023

Talk about giving an inside view into the Napoleonic Wars... Philip K Allan, author of the Alexander Clay series set during that time period, has shared this "you are there" photo... https://www.penmorepress.com/project/philip-k-allan/

Nelson’s day cabin on HMS Victory. Nelson spent much of his last few years in this space leading up to his death at Trafalgar in 1805. The ship is currently undergoing a major restoration.

15/11/2023

And just to get an exhilarating experience of what it must have been like at times during the Age of Sail... (Make sure to raise the volume for the full experience.) Can anyone tell us what era of ship design this ship is from? https://www.penmorepress.com/nautical-fiction/

14/11/2023

This "miraculous survival from the war-torn Crusader kingdoms in the 12th century", brings to mind James Boschert's Talon series. https://www.penmorepress.com/project/james-boschert/

Research picture of the day. From the British Library. The ivory panelled cover of the psalter of Queen Melisende of Jerusalem - 12th century.
Url to more about the item here.
https://blogs.bl.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2022/05/a-marvel-in-gold-and-ivory.html

13/11/2023

In his latest blog Philip K Allan, author of the Alexander Clay series, tells us of "The Age of Sail's Pearl Harbor", "the Royal Navy’s darkest day ... when a Dutch fleet of almost 100 ships launched a surprise attack on Chatham." https://www.penmorepress.com/project/philip-k-allan/

In 1667 the English crown was in trouble. Charles II had only been restored to the throne seven years before and things were going from bad to worse. A country still recovering from years of civil war had first been hit by plague and then the destruction of its capital city in the Great Fire of Lond...

11/11/2023

Today, November 11th, we would like to acknowledge our Penmore Press authors https://www.penmorepress.com/authors/ and staff who have served in the armed forces and thank them for their service:
Michael James
R Kenward Jones
James Keffer, Author
Marc Liebman
Benerson Little
Roger Paine
Donald Platt
Ron Singerton
Steve Smith
Chris Wozny
If there are any others whose Veteran status we don't know of, please also accept our thanks. Thank you to wikimediacommons for this photo of British and American troops meeting on the road in Anzio, Italy, during WWII.

10/11/2023

In recognition of the 11th of November, also known as Armistice Day, Veteran's Day and Remembrance Day, here is a video & narration of one of the more serene passages from Susan Boulton's gothic horror/murder mystery novel _Hand of Glory_. The novel begins with a mind blowing portrayal of the nightmarish reality of WWI trenches, but in this scene, set in 1922, all are gathered to recall what has gone before, one more stage in the fight against evil. Posted before, this piece is still worth viewing. The narrator is actor Roger Parkins, who has superbly narrated James Boschert's novel _North Sea Windstorm_. Click the audio icon to listen. https://www.penmorepress.com/project/susan-boulton/

09/11/2023

Congratulations!!! We are elated to welcome M Howard Morgan into the Penmore Press family of authors with the publication of _First Fleet_. His enthralling narrative of a young lawyer who turns his back on his profession to become a Marine, helping to establish the first colony in Australia for Her Majesty's government, is Age of Sail adventure at its finest. https://www.penmorepress.com/project/howard-m-morgan/

07/11/2023

Here is yesterday's log entry from the tall ship Lynx. Let your imagination roam! Rounding Cape Hatteras makes me think of the sailing engaged in by Marc Liebman's protagonists in _Death of a Lady_, the latest installment in his Jaco Jacinto Age of Sail series, as Lynx must have sailed past Charleston. https://www.penmorepress.com/project/marc-liebman/

Lynx's rounding of Cape Hatteras was about as smooth as can be in that very treacherous stretch of water.
As in yesterday's post, Lynx is still carrying the same sail configuration making a comfortable 5.5 knots through the night. The image shows Lynx is braced for a starboard tack as opposed to the total dead downwind braced square, Lynx rounds America's continental shore line shape.
At capitan Sean's 08h00 check in today he expected the light northerly to die about 11h00 and SW to fill in tomorrow.
Lynx's position was 40 miles offshore 50 miles NE from Cape Fear.
Marine Traffic shows lots of company southbound but Lynx has had very few sightings.
Weather is quite comfortable and crew rotations are yielding good rest on the 4 hrs on 8 off.
Meals are hot and calorie loaded for the crew. Some small projects are being done as the conditions permitt.
During watch there is no sitting, come to deck with all you need, warm, stay warm, head, lamp and be alert.
Eating and Hydration are required.
Two Islands One Ship Nantucket ~ St Simons

07/11/2023

Here is a video of the tall ship Lynx, currently voyaging on the east coast of the United States -- she recently rounded Cape Hatteras. Fuels the imagination for a Penmore Press Age of Sail adventure! https://www.penmorepress.com/nautical-fiction/

03/11/2023

Marie Gilroy Macpherson has shared this video of a kirk (church) --along with a narration of its history in what is to many an enthralling Scots accent-- in her town of Haddington. This kirk is linked to Marie's John Knox Trilogy, which begins with _The First Blast of the Trumpet_, as John Knox lived in the area in his early years and may have attended services there. Controversially, some say he was responsible for the attack that led to this church becoming roofless! Originally destined by his elders to become a priest, he transformed into a fiery leader of the Scottish Reformation. https://www.penmorepress.com/project/marie-macpherson/

Today's video is about the history of St Martins Kirk on the outskirts of Haddington. John Knox worshiped at this kirk as a boy, and may have taken retribut...

02/11/2023

Philip K Allan, author of the Alexander Clay series set in the Age of Sail, has written a fascinating post on "the son of a rural cow dealer who rose to be the most influential ship designer of his generation." https://www.penmorepress.com/project/philip-k-allan/

For most of the age of sail shipbuilding was a conservative affair. Naval architects began life as apprentices, learning their craft from shipwrights who used methods of construction unchanged for decades. Innovation, when it came, was slow and evolutionary. But towards the end of the 18th century t...

01/11/2023

Jim Stempel's _Windmill Point_ is so vivid you feel you are there in two desperate weeks in 1864 when the resolution of the American Civil War was balanced on a razor’s edge. Even those not normally drawn to the Civil War as a subject are likely to be entranced. https://www.penmorepress.com/project/jim-stempel/ As a perfect intro to _Windmill Point_, Military History Now has just published an article on the paradoxical personality of Ulysses S Grant who was General-in-Chief of the US Army and appears in _Windmill_ in all his human frailty and grandeur. Grant's contemporary William Tecumseh Sherman observed, "Grant’s whole character was a mystery even to himself—a combination of strength and weakness not paralleled by any of whom I have read in ancient or modern history.”

“This mystery surrounding Grant’s character has made it challenging for historians to explain his extraordinary turnaround from 1854—when he was forced out of the military—to 1864, when he was promoted to general-in-chief of the United...

31/10/2023

For another Halloween treat, embark on Amaya Tenshi's 2-part (and counting!) urban hipster Seattle series with... Dracula! https://www.penmorepress.com/project/amaya-tenshi/ https://tinyurl.com/dna9avaw When Cammy, Seattle hipster, part-time barista and college student, survives an attack by a pack of vampires, she resolves to learn more about what is going on in the shadows of her city. What she discovers is that none other than Dracula himself is involved in vampire abatement efforts and she asks to join forces...

Vlad Dragulya--Vampire Hunter??? When Cammy, Seattle hipster, part-time barista and college student, survives an attack by a pack of vampires, she resolves to learn more about what is going on in the shadows of her city. What she discovers is that none other than Dracula himself is involved in v...

30/10/2023

Benerson Little, author of the swashbuckling _Fortune's Whelp_, has shared this Halloween favorite! https://www.penmorepress.com/project/benerson-little/

Paulette Goddard as Mary Carter wearing a dress belonging to an ancestor in The Ghost Breakers, 1940. The film also stars Bob Hope, Willie Best, Pedro de Cordoba, and Anthony Quinn. It's a comedy of romance, skullduggery, a zombie, and treasure hunting at sea and at El Castillo Ma***to in Cuba -- perfect for Halloween. And the spectral special effects are far more chilling than any modern CGI-generated ghosts. 🎃👻

27/10/2023

I wonder if John Knox, the subject of Marie Gilroy Macpherson's John Knox Trilogy used to pick kale around Halloween? Somehow I doubt it -- that custom smacks of being way too pagan for him. Then again, what was he like as a young man? Marie, any thoughts?

The leafy green once foretold the future.

26/10/2023

What a feast!

The British Library has made available online its entire collection of manuscripts related to Geoffrey Chaucer. Users can now freely access over 60 items, which include many versions of The Canterbury Tales.

19/10/2023

Interesting! J.G. Harlond author has noticed that one of the series on BritBoxTV is filmed in the real-life town of Looe, Cornwall, where several of her Bob Robbins Home Front Mysteries are set. Enter into Cornwall during wartime (WWII) and find out what murder and mayhem Bob Robbins unravels through the first book in the series, _Local Resistance_. Also available on Audible.com through the brilliant narration of British actress Lorna Bryant. https://tinyurl.com/ktmk7pzw https://www.penmorepress.com/project/j-g-harlond/

I rarely see British tv here in Spain, but during the past week I've been watching the Kris Marshall 'Beyond Paradise' series, largely because of the location. It's set in a fictional Devonshire town, but it is filmed Looe in . The setting for various of my Bob Robbins Home Front Mysteries. They even have a frequent shot of the bend in the river where I set the dilapidated country house River Lodge in 'Secret Meetings'. Here's a pic from my photos you may recognise.

19/10/2023

Philip K Allan has shared this wonderful painting of a ship that's like the Swan class sloop HMS Rush, the first command of Philip's protagonist Alexander Clay, of the series by the same name. An image to fuel your reading of, or listening to, this detailed and vivid series set during the Age of Sail. https://www.penmorepress.com/project/philip-k-allan/.

JOHN CHANCELLOR (1925-1984, English)
«Convoy Escort», date unk.

oil | dimensions unk. | private collection(?)

17/10/2023

In his latest blog, Marc Liebman, author of The Jaco Jacinto Age of Sail series, explains that the chain of command for cases in which the president of the United States is unable to discharge his duties was decided in many ways based on the contemporary politics of 1792. Yes, the vice-president was next in line, but after that? You'll be surprised to know who Washington et al absolutely wanted to keep out of the top office. https://marcliebman.com/chain-of-command/

16/10/2023

And here's a living being that dates from *before* William the Conqueror!

The Big Belly Oak can be seen from the side of the A346, but very few of the thousands of motorists who pass it each day will realise the extent of…

14/10/2023

In their 2-book opus _An Argument of Blood_ & _A Black Matter for the King_ J A Ironside and Mathew Willis have conjured an intimate experience of the making of William of Normandy, who went from being called The Bastard to The Conqueror -- leading up to a single battle at Hastings that changed England, Europe, and the world. https://www.penmorepress.com/project/j-a-ironside/ https://www.penmorepress.com/project/matthew-willis/

14th October 1066 – The Norman conquest of England begins with the Battle of Hastings.

13/10/2023

A vase depicting maenads - Maenads are described as being crazy, but what if this was a way of designating women who simply wanted to lead their own lives, have a sense of agency? Was that considered to be a sign of madness in a world utterly dominated by men? Elena Douglas gives us a different look at the women of ancient Greece in her novels _Shadow of Athena_ and _Warrior's Prize_. https://www.penmorepress.com/project/elena-douglas/

Attic White-Ground Pyxis, c. 475-450 BC, Depicting Maenads.

Walters Art Museum.

11/10/2023

Thinking of John Danielski's article in Military History Now on the intrepid women who supported Napoleonic armies, the Lockwood series by Mark Bois brings us compelling portraits of the women who reinforced the men of the British Army fighting *against* Napoleon. Chief among these is James Lockwood's wife, Brigid, who throughout the series meets & overcomes severe trials. Theirs is a marriage requiring defiance of both the stodgy Anglo-Irish Lockwoods and the mistrustful, Gaelic-speaking O'Brians. And in _Lieutenant James Lockwood at the Battle of Waterloo_ Mark presents a mind-boggling portrait of what it took for wives of not only English origin but also from other countries to go with their British Army men to battle. https://www.penmorepress.com/project/mark-bois/

09/10/2023

A number of Penmore Press novels take place in the Caribbean where the Taino lived when Europeans first came to the islands... and some still do. Here are a sampling of these novels: _Sulu Sea_ by Marshall Riggan https://www.penmorepress.com/project/marshall-riggan/, _Brewer and the Black Rose_ by James Keffer, Author https://www.penmorepress.com/project/james-keffer/ and _The Measure of Ella_ by Toni Bird Jones https://www.penmorepress.com/project/toni-bird-jones/

The Native people of Hispaniola were long believed to have died out. But a journalist's search for their descendants turned up surprising results

06/10/2023

Philip K Allan, author of the Alexander Clay series set during the Napoleonic Wars, offers us this gorgeous view -- worth clicking on to open up full size and enjoy all the details. https://www.penmorepress.com/project/philip-k-allan/

Harbour Sunrise by contemporary artist Grzegorz Rutkowski

05/10/2023

John M. Danielski, author of the Thomas Pennywhistle series set during the Napoleonic wars, has a new article in Military History Now -- the title says it all: Meet the Hardy and Resourceful Women Who Accompanied Napoleonic Armies on Campaign

“Camp followers more than earned their keep because they provided an invaluable social matrix that increased the effectiveness of everyone involved.” By John Danielski THE CAMP followers of Napoleon’s armies were tough and hardy, brave...