Bat walk yesterday evening in Gothic twilight at Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford. 🦇 🦇

The HNS 2026 First Chapters Competition is now OPEN for submissions! Find full details at hns2026.com We're cannot wait to read your pages! Best of luck to all! #hns2026 #firstchapterscompetion #WritingCommunity #writingcompetition #writers

The HNS 2026 First Chapters Competition is now open until 17 November 2025, both to HNS members and to non-members, and to unpublished and previously published authors. Send in the opening plus synopsis of a previously unpublished full-length historical novel. See more: hns2026.com/competition

Got this from Meta. Pay up or we’ll sell your data? I’m tempted to bin Facebook and Instagram, especially after they scraped my novel ‘Daughter of Strangers’. Any views?

Nichole Louise gave my second novel 'The Piano Player' a detailed, thoughtful, and favourable review on her beautifully curated historical fiction website: nicholelouise.com/2025/07/03/r... Thank you! 👍 @nichole-louise.bsky.social #writersky #booksky

A beautiful day in Maynooth today sorting out some things for #HNS2026 conference with @katmezzacappa.bsky.social . More to come on HNS2026.com

I've just signed this petition protesting Meta's theft of Irish writing, which they've used to build their AI tool. Will you sign too? my.uplift.ie/petitions/pr...

This cause is close to my heart - please sign: my.uplift.ie/petitions/pr... #irishwriters #irishwriting @conorkostick.bsky.social #DontZuckOurBooks #writingcommunity

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I've redesigned the Irish Writers' Union newsletter edited by @katmezzacappa.bsky.social and it's lovely to get it out there in its new format on the 17th of March. To read it in full, join the IWU!

Privileged to be working with @histwriter.bsky.social @benbergonzi.bsky.social Dianne Ascroft and Aidan Morrissey on the organisation of the first Historical Novel Society conference to be held in #ireland @maynoothuniversity.ie #historicalfiction

open.substack.com/pub/susanlan... I AM SO EXCITED!!

#ICYMI Sharing our earlier Editorial Book Review of 🌟Times of Turmoil by Anna Belfrage🌟 "Times of Turmoil ... is an amazing story that will have you flipping pages till dawn." thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/10/edit... #TimeSlip #HistoricalFiction #BookReview @abelfrageauthor.bsky.social

Also I’ve been reading this witty memoir about an eclectic antiquarian bookshop in London. Funniest cover praise: “Unfortunately I have mislaid the book in question “

Life Under My Belt: Kristin Hannah’s commitment to telling women's lost stories: https://buff.ly/3CwYUYQ #HistoricalFiction

Mary Kearney arrived on my Kindle today! Perfect evening reading in my comfy chair 👍

I'm excited to share what I've been working on recently as one of a team of volunteers from the Historical Novel Society. I've set up our 2026 conference website hns2026.com and will update it as needed. Maynooth Campus is a beautiful venue and easily reached from Dublin. Looking forward to it!

🎉 Happy Birthday to Edith Wharton! Let’s celebrate by exploring some of her most iconic works: #ebook

A classic, erudite yet heartfelt: the tale of a love that transcends social divisions ❤️

This stunning novel of 18thC Ireland entwines joy and tragedy, as a tender and passionate love grows ever deeper in defiance of an unjust society. #TheBalladofMaryKearney #historicalfiction #historicalnovel www.amazon.co.uk/Ballad-Mary-...

Wishing you all a joyful, enlightening, and prosperous New Year!

Gobsmacked. Thank you @patrickkincaid.bsky.social for such a heartfelt endorsement. #HistoricalFiction #Renaissance @historia-hwa.bsky.social #Fairlight #Bookrecommendation This makes my day and many days to come.

Writing-wise, I had little success in 2024 because all my short stories and novels were rejected. Almost all. “To End All Wars” initially failed to be placed in Write for Palestinians event, but I knew it had legs.TY @madeehahwrites.bsky.social and @safiyacherfi.bsky.social for vibing with it ❤️ 🇵🇸

You can message me here. I do have big plans x

Last day if you fancy a little book goodie

This year our #Christmas #card was created by children's book illustrator and artist Margaret Anne Suggs. 🦉🌖 The #illustration is inspired by the owl that features in the mosaic of the Main Hall of the @nlireland.bsky.social. www.nli.ie/news-stories...

Excited that this gorgeous novel is finally being released!

@ruthmckee.bsky.social in an interesting interview with @martindoyle.bsky.social: “put your own writing first”

This is my last Flash a Day for November. Thank you for travelling along with me and your support.

What I love about the Historical Novel Society is that it intermittently creates the largest possible concentration of like-minded people in a single place.

I’ve just come away from a get-together of the Irish chapter of the Historical Novel Society. Lovely people. We’ve been discussing a plan for the 2026 HNS conference to be held at the beautiful and historic University of Maynooth. More later…

Then airborne, in darkness, only a faint moon to light up the sea. Enough to see, briefly, the rest of the squadron, flying in formation beside him. Tinfoil on the underside to avoid the sweep of German radar. Flying for hours with only a map to guide him.

Delighted with this review of our book on the diaries of Irish feminist, socialist, and rebel, Dr Kathleen Lynn - revolutionary woman, doctor and life long partner of fellow revolutionary Madeleine ffrench-Mullen #history #speirgorm #irishwmnhist

“How can he tell this man, the son of refugees, that the burning cities, from his vantage point, looked beautiful? That he knew nothing afterwards would ever equal this strange euphoria. And Holmes, poor Holmes, who fell out of the plane, ever to be heard from again.”

The amazing Dawn Bradfield voiced my first short story for RTE Radio1 #SpokenStories and brought my two characters, Imelda and Nuala, to life in an incredible way. www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...

Huge thanks to @tonyriches.bsky.social for hosting me on his blogspot. I talk about the inspiration for #TheMaidenofFlorence, the writing life, what I'm working on now - plus a link to a video interview with @italywriters.bsky.social #historicalfiction #Renaissance #MeToo

Thank you @beledit.bsky.social! Your generous comments help me combat what I once heard @juliecohen.bsky.social call THE FEAR of writing. 😊

I'm pleased to share our new trailer for BLUE ROAD - THE EDNA O'BRIEN STORY. In Irish cinemas on Jan 31st w @breakoutpictures.bsky.social and in UK after. It features @louisekennedy.bsky.social Gabriel Byrne, Walter Mosley, Jessie Buckley and of course, Edna. www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEEr...

Big thank you to @tonyriches.bsky.social for featuring me on his blog today! #HistoricalFiction #Renaissance #MeToo #writing I talk about the research process for #TheMaidenofFlorence, the writing life, advice for new writers and more.

An engrossing gothic tale of impersonation, insanity and murder, perfect for a cold, dark night before the fire. 4*. books.beledit.com/ravenswood-w... #BookReview #Books #HistoricalFiction 💙📚@boldwoodbooks.bsky.social

I’m proud to say that Gwen was in my year at medical college. Principled, intelligent and articulate always.

Welcome to Day 1 of our exciting new Blog Tour for ༻*·Traitor's Game·*༺ by Rosemary Hayes! Check out our first tour stops, sharing enticing excerpts and fascinating guest posts! thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/10/blog... #HistoricalFiction #NapoleonicWars #SpyFiction #BlogTour #TCPBC 🥰📚

Having joined this new platform, I want to avoid it eating my brain. I'm going to limit myself to fiction writing, arts and culture, festivals and related events, history, and history of medicine. If I don't comment on other things, it's not because I don't care.

Thanks Fiona! I hope you enjoy reading it ❤️

Want a novel to read by the fireside, something to immerse you in a different time and place? A book with adventure, romance and interesting history? On offer on #kindle for #99p #99c this week. #Swordfighting #Flamenco #Inquisition mybook.to/ADivided

I need to do something like this...

@katmezzacappa.bsky.social 's best #HistoricalFiction yet: sensuously beautiful writing and an extraordinary tale of female survival based on true life and on the sinister history of #Renaissance #Italy ❤️

Thank you @katmezzacappa.bsky.social ! I've only just signed up here, hoping to reconnect with what I used to enjoy about social media. The community, the buzz, the humour, and literary-minded people who let me know what's going on...