Today I'm shouting out a group of historical fiction authors all with great books on sale now. Samantha Wilcoxson, Alice McVeigh, Liz Harris and more. Check out books.bookfunnel.com/hwfchristmas... #booksforchristmas #historicalfiction ⭐️🎄⭐️🎄

Introducing #writingcommunity and #booksky to @malagopress.bsky.social and our new spooky story book! Quite Weird www.amazon.co.uk/Quite-Weird-...

@bmthwritingfest.bsky.social celebrates #RobertLouisStevenson - 175th birthday at his former home, where he wrote #DrJekyllandMrHyde and #Kidnapped. 13th November - performances, readings, poetry from Stevenson experts. @alibacon.bsky.social www.bournemouthwritingfestival.co.uk/networking-e...

Pretty excited about this one!

📢 For writers of #HistoricalFiction Ali Bacon's recent release, THE ABSENT HEART, is a splendid example of the use of historical letters in a fictional context. In TAH, some of the letters are authentic while some she has created that superbly match the style of the characters. 💙📚

Up today on the History Quill: my take on letters in historical fiction ✍️ #amwriting #amreading #writingtips thehistoryquill.com/signed-seale... #amwriting #amreading

Shout out to author and Austenite @katiejlumsden.bsky.social for this video of authors talking about their fave Jane Austen novels, and for including me! #janeaustenbooks Check out Katie's books too. Regency romp or Victorian gothic - just the ticket 📚☺️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTC8...

Fanny Stevenson Barges In: #BeyondtheBook #TheAbsentHeart When I first encountered Fanny Osbourne, she appeared as a footnote in Louis Stevenson’s story—emotionally fragile, grieving, and overshadowed. But the more I read, the more she demanded centre stage. Like my own heroine Frances Sitwell,…

Well really, who needs Baltimore? 😂

Love hearing more of the authorial backstory of my friend @alibacon.bsky.social's historical fiction adventures. 👏 #booksky #HistoricalFiction

How did I end up writing the lives of eminent (but sometimes neglected) Victorians? Find out on the @nansjar23.bsky.social blog 😊🙏 I nancyjardine.blogspot.com/2025/07/welc...

The Absent Heart & friends looking good today at #stroudindiebookfair though I say it myself.😊 . #histfic #biographicalfiction

thank you @dublinwriter.bsky.social for an evening of marvellous readings and introducing me to these great writers 😊🙏 #flashfiction #shortstories #writersread

Come listen/watch 10 brilliant readers @ #WritersReading Thur 26th June 7pm to 9pm UK. First half readers: Roz Levens, @bronwengriffiths.bsky.social Lindy Newns, @alibacon.bsky.social & @jankaneen1.bsky.social - Get your free audience ticket at tickettailor.com/events/dubli... #writing #reading

Fancy a day out in Stroud? Combine it with some bookchat, author meets and general literary fun! 📚 I'll be there with @alibacon.bsky.social & other JustWrite Bristol authors #StroudIndieBookFair

Sidney Colvin: an unlikely hero #BeyondtheBook #TheAbsentHeart Adapted from my my Beyond the Book newsletter of September 2024. Sign up for future issues here. If Frances Sitwell is my heroine, who is the hero? It would be easy to argue for Louis Stevenson (who has a way of taking centre stage…

21 lovely reviews 😊 Keep 'em coming I say! 😁🙏 #historicalfiction #bookreviews #indiepublishers

Great follow-up to reading the stupendous #CaledonianRoad by Andrew O'Hagan, his BBC Sounds episode on Take 4 books. #stateofthenation #litfic www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

For anyone unclear about beta readers, this is the biz. And a reminder of the importance of feedback (feedback, feedback) on your novel. #amwriting #writingtips

Mrs Sitwell goes to Edinburgh! Join me and @janeandersonwritet.bsky.social at the Edinburgh Bookshop on Thursday evening. On Friday I'll be talking at the Robert Louis Stevenson Club (members only). #theabsentheart www.edinburghbookshop.com/events-1/ali...

P.S. Still a few places left on my short story course! It's 8 weeks, online, and starts Tues 6th May, 6.30-8.30pm. Come explore this brilliant form with me! (More details in pinned post) 📚✒️🤩

Here's an artist's impression by Jennifer McDonald of the 'real' characters from The Absent Heart, Sidney Colvin, R.L. Stevenson and Frances Sitwell. My next 'Beyond the Book' newsletter discusses the people I made up from scratch! Sign up here. eepurl.com/iTCrNc You also get a bonus chapter 😉

The Absent Heart takes off in #Bristol #booklaunch #historicalfiction A Brilliant day in Bristol As in all the best stories from my childhood, the day of my book launch dawned bright and clear, so much so that as we walked down Park Street I worried guest might have chosen to head for the beach…

Another blog appearance today this time with indie author Jane Davis who has a fabulous back catalogue of fiction - historical and contemporary. Yes, I'm in the history bracket too! #booksky #historicalfiction #biographicalfiction jane-davis.co.uk/2025/04/12/v...

Lovely crowd this afternoon 🥰. So much support from #Bristol #writers, friends old and new.

Meet me in 2025 If you can be at any of these events, please come and say hello! More on my Meet the Author page

You can make a change 📢 Protect authors’ livelihoods from the unlicensed use of their work in AI training by signing this open letter ✒️ authr.uk/sp40 #MakeitFair #MetaBookThieves #DoTheWriteThing

Sorry to bang on about this but sign-ups are a bit slow so far...🐌. If anyone's interested in doing a stimulating, fun and relaxed 8-week online #ShortStory course with me on Tuesday evenings throughout May and June, do get in touch - and please spread the word! Thank you! ✒️📚 #BookSky #amwriting

Ooh its me 😆

Grateful for help from so many writers and readers, especially @jajablonski.bsky.social

Publication Day! 😍🥳 Order The Absent Heart "Full of stifled passions, hidden loves, brief joys and terrible griefs.." says James Robertson. Ready for some heart-wrenching? Order now from Linen Press or Amazon alibacon.com

Delighted to be feature the Portobello Book blog today. A wee holiday by the sea for The Absent Heart just before publication :) #historicalfiction #robertlouisstevenson #francessitwell #linenpressbooks portobellobookblog.com/2025/03/22/t...

Thrilled to have this endorsement from a Stevenson biographer. 'reveals the emotional truth of a long and deep relationship the way no biography can.' #robertlouisstevenson #historicalfiction #booksky #francessitwell #biographicalfiction

Interested in Robert Louis Stevenson? This book is for you 👌 Bristol people - sign up for the launch! tr.ee/9wbC8P6yq4 @alibacon.bsky.social #TheAbsentHeart

📢PSA: Book Launch in Bristol UK - 5 April 2025 "One woman, two men, how many love affairs?" THE ABSENT HEART by @alibacon.bsky.social A must for #HistoricalFiction fans! Register here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/book-launc... #BookSky 💙📚 #RobertLouisStevenson #FrancesSitwell #SidneyColvin

Letters in fiction: Robert Harris, Gill Hornby and me! The Absent Heart is very much a novel about letters and how they defined Frances Sitwell's relationship with Robert Louis Stevenson, but it's not a novel of letters. I’m actually quite a fan of the epistolary novel and, with all of the…

For #histfic writers, @alibacon.bsky.social has a great article on writing biographical fiction on The History Quill site: thehistoryquill.com/biographical... #BookSky #historicalfiction #amwriting #WritingCommunity

Thanks Jeanne!

Just released, the war journal of Ukrainian poet Victoria Amelina, published posthumously. Essential reading.

Thank you @rachaelgray.bsky.social for my first Goodreads review 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟#booksky #historicalfiction #newbooks

Lovely to see this from @sarasheridan.bsky.social amongst her 2025 reads.

So lo why to see this from @rachaelgray.bsky.social Happy Tuesday !😊🙏

I'm a bit late to this party but how many books are instantly recognisable from the cover? A great read if longer than my usual taste. Highly atmospheric and some very cool early photography thrown in 😍📸 #historicalfiction #booksky #coverart #photohistory

@philipmiller.bsky.social Hi Philip. Great to see Shona Sandison going strong. I've been raking around in the life of R.L.S. If you'd like to have a read of the outcome, let me know. More on my profile. 🙂🙏 #TheAbsentHeart #historicalfiction

The Creative Future Writers’ Award is the only free to enter national poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction competition for all underrepresented writers. The optional theme is ‘Wild’. Fifteen winners (5 winners in each category). Please share :)

I thought this would be good and it was! Lovely exploration of Edinburgh past and present (with interesting casting of Louis and Fanny🤔) Ian Rankin Investigates: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Jekyll, Hyde & Hunter #whoknew #robertlouisstevenson #theabsentheart www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

The very best 30 seconds on the worldwide web.

Raced through this fascinating novel by @vickymackenzie.bsky.social then I remembered Within these Walls, my take on the life of a 10th century nun in Skeins anthology. Great to explore those long-ago voices. #womensvoices #WOMENSWORDS #skeins #linenpress

@stroudbookfestival.bsky.social Hi Stroud and greetings from SouthGlos. My second historical/biographical novel is out in March and I’d love to talk about it at your 2025 festival or take part in discussion. Should I send a full pitch? Review copy available on request 😊🙏