Apologies for not sending another update sooner. My treatments are continuing to work against the cancer (the most important thing), but I’m getting more tired as expected with these particular pills and injections.
However, this has not stopped us enjoying good times with friends and family, including our latest baby granddaughter. We also loved a short trip to Totnes in Devon which we had not visited before.
On Easter Sunday, our Congregational church held a believers’ baptism service. In addition to being special for everyone involved, this seemed to bridge the divide between Independent Congregational and Baptist traditions whose split I tracked in Naming the Dead.
Books and Articles
It was great that Paying in Blood and Naming the Dead did well in the kindle charts earlier in the year. Both books are available at Baxby Books . The kindle version of Naming the Dead is still only 99p. If you haven’t already done so, please consider giving some Amazon stars as these are a great help.
You can find maps and character lists on my web-site, and may be interested to read my latest piece for Aspects of History online magazine. Naming the Dead: Inspiration from the Haden Family Bible is more personal than previous articles as it described the way I related to hardship and loss in the 17th century. It is also available on my website Articles page.
Alexander Baxby Mystery 3
I’ve just finished the third draft of this next book 😊. It’s been challenging at times, but fun to bring Baxby back to England and merge his personal story with the 1613 timeline in his prison cell. Next, I will move on to the edit/polish stage after a break in Scotland.
Researching Aldgate Ward
As part of the research for the third book, Simon and I visited Aldgate ward in London with old friends Tony and Raina, our local ‘guides’. We got wet, but enjoyed exploring the history of the city streets before the 1666 Great Fire and more recent skyscrapers. Tony even spotted ruined arches of the medieval Holy Trinity priory in the foyer of an office block.
After the dissolution of the monasteries by King Henry VIII, those living on former priory land were not subject to the normal rules about church attendance. As a result, areas such as Aldgate became popular with Independents and immigrants, making it an ideal setting for Baxby’s next home.
In fact, there are so many interesting links, that the visit has given me lots of ideas for Book 4.
Many thanks again for all the support and encouragement,
Karen H