DEBRA BROWN - THE WONDERFUL AUTHOR AND READER COMMUNITY - GUESTPOST AND DOUBLE GIVEAWAY

Join me and welcome author Debra Brown on Fly High! Read her guestblog and leave your comment + e-mail address to enter the double giveaway contest:

1. A signed paperback copy of Debra's "The Companion of Lady Holmeshire" for US and Canada readers only

2. An e-book version of the same book for readers from the rest of the world. 

Please, specify if you enter the contest from the US or elsewhere. This giveaway ends on November 16th. 

Thanks to Maria for the invitation to post here on Fly High! I’ve enjoyed Maria’s blogs since I became involved with the historical fiction community online, and am glad to be here.

I fell in love with English historical fiction as a child. The very first books that I remember were the Bookhouse Books from 1920! Not everything was English; I remember Dutch, Indian and other stories in the several volumes. I would really love to have those books, an encyclopedic set of stories, again. As I grew older, I read all of the Nancy Drew mysteries from our library, but all I remember was Nancy in an old Victorian house. Then, in school, Dickens was required reading, and I was caught forever.

I made jewelry for many years, and often had period movies on while I worked. Those movies and TV series taught me much about the past and moved me to research the questions that were raised in my mind. Having been raised in a land where we were all “created equal”, I was fascinated by the rigid class structure and how seriously it was taken, even by scullery maids who were at the bottom of the social chain.

When the movies ran out, and the economy slowed my business, I had the time to try my hand at writing. I hugely enjoyed the next year, putting "The Companion of Lady Holmeshire" into manuscript form, and I was pleasantly surprised to have it accepted for publication. I had much to learn, next, about marketing a book. I am ever so thankful to those who took me by the hand and helped me learn, especially Teresa Thomas Bohannon at first. I find the author community to be delightfully united and friendly.

I frequently visited the Austen Authors blog and was impressed with their teamwork. A couple of times I thought I should write an Austen sequel to have a place on their blog, but I just didn’t have such a story in my head. The stories The stories that were in my head were demanding attention, anyway.One of the Austen Authors told me that the blog had really helped her career, and it made me think- couldn’t I start a blog for English historical fiction in general? I knew there must be many more people like me who would love to read daily posts on British history and see England from the comfort of their armchairs.

Once again, the cooperative spirit of the author community greatly impressed me. I began a search for authors, first from among my long time friends, and then I diversified so that I would have a few from each historical era and from different sub-genre. How exciting it was to find that so many of those I contacted were willing to work together, whether they were published by one of the big six, smaller publishers or even themselves. Everyone sent me all that I needed to put it together. Their blog posts have been done well in advance, and they are beautifully done. They have helped to promote the blog, and in less than a month’s time, we have over one hundred followers and two thousand unique visitors!

 I am happy to say that we have a regular weekly giveaway featuring one author, and I encourage people to enter the giveaways for books that they would enjoy. You will win more often than you realize. We have a great variety of books listed, also, on our book page, so when you are looking for something to read in our genre, please check our list at

 English Historical Fiction Authors.

 I also appreciate the many people who take time to read and even review our books or just recommend them to their friends. You are the greatest!

My website  discusses both my book and the new book I am writing. I blog on historical matters at 

English Epochs 101

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"The Companion of Lady Holmeshire" was inspired by the stories of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. It is the story of a foundling infant who grew to become a servant, and then a companion, for the widowed Countess of Holmeshire. She was dragged along, somewhat unhappily, into snobbish aristocratic society, where she had to endure rude stares and remarks. Though she had eyes for the young Earl of Holmeshire, he was engaged by arrangement to a London lady. Sweet romance develops both upstairs and down, resulting in humorous situations. 

Mysterious persons intrude in their lives, and odd events are finally understood in the great surprises of the last chapters. I hope, at the end, that you will say, I should have known! You can find reviews of The Companion of Lady Holmeshire, at my site

 Thanks a lot, Debra for being here with us today.

Now it's your turn, dear readers. Leave your comments, don't forget to add your e-mail address and ... good luck with the double giveaway contest!