Getting to Know Yooou --

[:Sarita:]

Why, hello!

It has come to my attention that I don’t really know many of you yet. Introductions are all well and good, but usually consist of a name, a hello, and very little else. I suspect there are some members who sign on and quickly scarper because they just don’t know where to start! This got me thinking, perhaps we ought to officially introduce ourselves by answering a few questions in a bid to get know one another a little better?

Below are some questions that I thought were appropriate. Feel free to answer them! If you think of any other suitable questions, please do suggest them!

Name: Sara

Age: 24

Location: South East England

Favourite Author(s): John Fowles, Lesley Glaister

Favourite Historic Novel(s): To this day, my answer has to be The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. It had a huge effect on me at the time, believe it or not. I wasn’t particularly interested in reading until the day I got my free copy of the novel from The Times in 2005 – from then on, I was obsessed!

Favourite Work(s) of Historical Non-Fiction: The Complete History of Jack the Ripper by Philip Sugden. A fascinating subject, superbly written.

Favourite Period(s)/ Aspect(s) of History: I am most interested in the ‘ordinary’ folk of the British Isles in the 16th, 19th and early 20th centuries, in workhouses, poverty, family life, and the roles of women.

Favourite Quote (From a historic novel, or generally speaking): “I must shape my own coat according to my cloth, but it will not be after the fashion of this world, but fit for me.” – Lady Arbella Stuart


Your turn!

[LoveHistory]

Hi Sara. I have a hard time choosing favorites so I won't list any, but it's lovely to meet you.

[Madeleine]

Hi Sara and welcome from a fellow south-easterner. A few of my favourite HF authors are:

Philippa Gregory, Barbara Erskine (although not strictly a historical author), Elizabeth Chadwick, Tracy Chevalier and C J Sansom.

My favourite historical periods are the Victorians and Mediaeval.

[MLE (Emily Cotton)]

Hi Sara,
I'm 60 and loving it.

I'm from Los Angeles originally, now a permanent resident of Livermore, a medium-sized town outside of San Francisco known for its vineyards and the local mega-employer, the National nuclear laboratory. We have more physicists per square mile that anyplace in the world, and what's left are computer engineers commuting to Silicon Valley.

I have read too many good books to have favorite authors, but I remember fondly the ones that I read as a teenager back in the '60s. Not all of them have stood up to a second reading (Costain was a favorite then, but he's spotty now) but one favorite has: Prince of Foxes, by Samuel Shellabarger. But I liked The Other Boleyn Girl too. Gregory's works have been hit-and-miss with me, although I think her Boleyn Inheritance was brilliant.
Others faves: Legacy by Susan Kay, Shogun, Dunnett's Lymond books, Shadow of the Moon by M.M. Kaye, Gone with the Wind, and Mary Stuart's Crystal Cave. In the more recent lexicon, I can add Chadwick's Marshall books and Loupas' two renaissance mysteries.

Obviously, my favorite period is the Renaissance. I'm a re-enactor. I write the renaissance, too, and about once or twice a year I dust off my teaching talk, 'Pirate Sails and Caravan Trails: Trade Goods to Die for'.

My favorite non-fiction is an OOP on a character whose former maid I play at renaissance faires: Son of the Alhambra: a Biography of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, Ambassador to Charles V. The man went everywhere and did everything, and if I live long enough I'm going to write a series of novels based on the various episodes in his rather eventful life.

For my favorite quote, at the moment I'll go with Hamlet's line to his scholarly friend Horatio: "There are more things in heaven and earth than are dream't of in your philosophy."

[Helen_Davis]

Name: Helen
Age: 26

Location: Wyoming

Favourite Author(s): Jean Plaidy
Favourite Historic Novel(s): The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George

Favourite Work(s) of Historical Non-Fiction: Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir

Favourite Period(s)/ Aspect(s) of History: Ancient Egypt and Persia

Favourite Quote (From a historic novel, or generally speaking): “Let you who is without sin cast the first stone.'- Jesus

[:Sarita:]

[quote=""LoveHistory""]Hi Sara. I have a hard time choosing favorites so I won't list any, but it's lovely to meet you.[/quote]

Hello No matter, I struggle with favourites, too Lovely to meet you!

And hello to you, Madeleine! You're a fan of the Victorian period also, I see- jolly good

[:Sarita:]

[quote=""MLE""]Hi Sara,
I'm 60 and loving it.

I'm from Los Angeles originally, now a permanent resident of Livermore, a medium-sized town outside of San Francisco known for its vineyards and the local mega-employer, the National nuclear laboratory. We have more physicists per square mile that anyplace in the world, and what's left are computer engineers commuting to Silicon Valley.

I have read too many good books to have favorite authors, but I remember fondly the ones that I read as a teenager back in the '60s. Not all of them have stood up to a second reading (Costain was a favorite then, but he's spotty now) but one favorite has: Prince of Foxes, by Samuel Shellabarger. But I liked The Other Boleyn Girl too. Gregory's works have been hit-and-miss with me, although I think her Boleyn Inheritance was brilliant.
Others faves: Legacy by Susan Kay, Shogun, Dunnett's Lymond books, Shadow of the Moon by M.M. Kaye, Gone with the Wind, and Mary Stuart's Crystal Cave. In the more recent lexicon, I can add Chadwick's Marshall books and Loupas' two renaissance mysteries.

Obviously, my favorite period is the Renaissance. I'm a re-enactor. I write the renaissance, too, and about once or twice a year I dust off my teaching talk, 'Pirate Sails and Caravan Trails: Trade Goods to Die for'.

My favorite non-fiction is an OOP on a character whose former maid I play at renaissance faires: Son of the Alhambra: a Biography of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, Ambassador to Charles V. The man went everywhere and did everything, and if I live long enough I'm going to write a series of novels based on the various episodes in his rather eventful life.

For my favorite quote, at the moment I'll go with Hamlet's line to his scholarly friend Horatio: "There are more things in heaven and earth than are dream't of in your philosophy."[/quote]

Hello there, thank you for answering the questions so fully! I enjoyed reading what you had to say

You're a re-enactor?! I'd love to be able to do that sometime It must be so much fun, I bet you have a ball!

I like your quote very much, Hamlet is my favourite <3

Lovely to meet you!

[:Sarita:]

[quote=""Helen_Davis""]Name: Helen
Age: 26

Location: Wyoming

Favourite Author(s): Jean Plaidy
Favourite Historic Novel(s): The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George

Favourite Work(s) of Historical Non-Fiction: Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir

Favourite Period(s)/ Aspect(s) of History: Ancient Egypt and Persia

Favourite Quote (From a historic novel, or generally speaking): “Let you who is without sin cast the first stone.'- Jesus[/quote]

Hi Helen

Your quote = excellent choice.

[Vanessa]

I live just south of York.

I have a few favourite authors - Barbara Erskine, Elizabeth Chadwick, Philippa Gregory, Tracy Chevalier, Cynthia Harrod Eagles, Diana Gabaldon, Daphne du Maurier, Kate Morton.......

I have to say that my favourite all time book is Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell! I really enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl, too. Here's a thread with favourite historical reads.

I'm not sure which era I like the best. It depends what I'm in the mood for, but I do enjoy Victoriana!

I have a couple of favourite quotes in my signature.