tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post8682989908015595857..comments2023-10-12T02:21:40.102-07:00Comments on English Historical Fiction Authors: Nuns, monks, priests and believers: writing about spiritual matters in English historical fictionDebra Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256313302199653185noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-91770891496328444102013-01-18T11:43:10.397-08:002013-01-18T11:43:10.397-08:00Stephanie, thanks!
Stephanie, thanks!<br />Stephanie Renee dos Santoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02867921223166477443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-70236751335233657032013-01-17T09:44:36.009-08:002013-01-17T09:44:36.009-08:00What a beautiful post, Stephanie! Thanks for your ...What a beautiful post, Stephanie! Thanks for your very kind words and insightful comments. My personal feeling is that Camille did not have the patience it takes to be a writer or actress, to endure the hundreds of rewrites and hundreds of lost auditions. The arts are extremely hard work and few guaranties...so she lived through Claude's art which was also a wonderful thing, because people who create need people standing by them. In my life, I do both...which is very fulfilling. I really love it.<br /><br />Thanks to everyone for your reading suggestions! I will follow through!Stephanie Cowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06423566909753375195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-90853997267460734032013-01-17T08:35:46.551-08:002013-01-17T08:35:46.551-08:00Wonderful, I don't believe there is anyone loo...Wonderful, I don't believe there is anyone looking back at me either, I just believe in infinite energy!<br /><br />Regards,<br /><br />StephanieStephanie Renee dos Santoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02867921223166477443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-43537595177410314562013-01-17T03:34:38.260-08:002013-01-17T03:34:38.260-08:00"(one can/maybe be an atheist, because even i..."(one can/maybe be an atheist, because even if you don’t believe in something larger than yourself that does not negate what is)"<br /><br />I would have to say that believing in, or rather accepting the existence of, something larger than yourself is quite common to atheists! Happens everytime I look at the night sky. The only difference is, I don't believe there is anyone looking back at me. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-25611292675592196862013-01-16T19:53:40.228-08:002013-01-16T19:53:40.228-08:00The Ramsay Scallop by Frances Temple. It's a c...The Ramsay Scallop by Frances Temple. It's a children's/YA book that centers around a pilgrimage -- a lovely story. <br /><br />Also, The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare, another children's/YA.Barbara Monajemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06740868750916582900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-30319801661458541322013-01-16T18:12:28.440-08:002013-01-16T18:12:28.440-08:00Regan I absolutely agree. It's not just the me...Regan I absolutely agree. It's not just the medieval period. The church was an enormous part of life in the Regency for example but characters in regencies rarely go to church. I've just written a regency with a hero who has a very strong faith and it struck me as I was writing it that what seemed totally natural to him, doesn't happen in other books. It's not an "inspirational" by any means but it is a reflection of the life and times.\<br /><br />And Stephanie, I can rarely go past an old church in England without popping my head around the door for exactly the same reasons as you. So much is invested in the emotional fabric of the building.Alison Stuarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07101217971756114754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-19006494515328733942013-01-16T16:37:05.280-08:002013-01-16T16:37:05.280-08:00Stephanie,
Thank you for this post. I found many...Stephanie,<br /><br />Thank you for this post. I found many points interesting, causing me to reflect. I can’t imagine writing a novel without weaving spirit into the work, as we are spiritual creatures on a human journey (one can/maybe be an atheist, because even if you don’t believe in something larger than yourself that does not negate what is), and as historical writers we are writing about life journeys of the past through our characters. And the journey and spirit are one of the other: one. Spirit expresses and manifests tangibly through the visual arts, music, writing, so, I believe Stephanie your other books “Marrying Mozart” and “Claude and Camille” are very spiritual too--- expressing the deep, deep, deep need, desire, spontaneity to create which is spiritual.<br /><br />“Claude and Camille” touched and resonated with me profoundly. I came away from the book believing one reason Camille loved Claude and gave up the comforts of her privileged birth was because she longed deeply to create art, but instead she lived vicariously through Claude’s creations and passion. But she had the profound passion within herself to commune with this infinite creative energy. Instead, she created children (a magnificent artistic creation in itself, but common and accessible to many) and in her case this inhibited her from realizing her core desire: to make art, be it visual or in the written word. I identify with this longing as I believe when we are creating art we are our closest to God, to the essence of spirit ̶ to rapture. And when rapture’s essence is captured and depicted in a work of music, visual or written art, one, the masses, can repeatedly experience this fleeting moment of ecstasy through the work again and again, and this is reason the world loves it so.<br /><br />Well, this is becoming lengthy for a blog post comment, thank you again for writing this post, I loved it.<br /><br />Regards,<br /><br />Stephanie Renée dos Santos<br />www.stephaniereneedossantos.com<br />Stephanie Renee dos Santoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02867921223166477443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-39114658129959667282013-01-16T15:09:59.978-08:002013-01-16T15:09:59.978-08:00It was a joy to watch Margaret Frazer's Frevis...It was a joy to watch Margaret Frazer's Frevisse grow spiritually and personally; one of my favorite original historical fiction characters ever! I also very much appreciated the dimensions of spirituality that Sharan Newman explored through her inclusion of very well-drawn, multi-dimensional Jewish characters from the 12th century in her Catherine LeVendeur series. Sue Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12306993760086557571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-12876000832547040582013-01-16T14:42:12.958-08:002013-01-16T14:42:12.958-08:00Actually, Regan, when I was first trying to sell N...Actually, Regan, when I was first trying to sell NICHOLAS and it had not entirely "formed" yet, an editor who almost bought it, said, "This reminds of of Augustine." And I shaped it more that way...Nicholas has to mess up a lot of his life before he finally is able to serve God. NICHOLAS is the first of a trilogy; the second book won an American Book Award. I hope every year to finish the third book! Soon! Thanks!Stephanie Cowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06423566909753375195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-53509117774074034212013-01-16T13:31:52.077-08:002013-01-16T13:31:52.077-08:00I write historical romance and believe that if you...I write historical romance and believe that if you are to show the people and passions of the era you are writing about you have to reflect at least some aspect of their faith, particularly if (as in the medieval period) everyone was very aware of the church and God. Your novel NICHOLAS COOKE sounds like Augustine's path in life--and fascinating. <br /><br />Regan<br />http://www.reganwalkerauthor.comRegan Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02977297105533227463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-6232985943137402842013-01-16T13:03:01.470-08:002013-01-16T13:03:01.470-08:00Margaret, that's a new one for me! I also just...Margaret, that's a new one for me! I also just discovered Cutler's A Keeper of Secrets. Thursbitch sounds fascinating.<br />Stephanie Cowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06423566909753375195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-73883121022374603622013-01-16T10:40:14.264-08:002013-01-16T10:40:14.264-08:00I am an enthusiastic fan of Judith Rock's myst...I am an enthusiastic fan of Judith Rock's mystery series set in the 1680's, featuring Jesuit schoolmaster/dance instructor/choreographer, who interacts with the court of Louis XIV. About to read the 3rd novel in the series.Margaret Porterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16202290659191790984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-7430412035211535802013-01-16T05:39:32.074-08:002013-01-16T05:39:32.074-08:00Thursbitch, by Alan Garner, falls at the outer edg...Thursbitch, by Alan Garner, falls at the outer edge of your request for books as while it contains a great deal that is spiritual, it is not a Christian spirituality but something much more pantheistic and closer to my own atheist/animist feelings. It's a brilliant novel set in the English pennines in the C18th and in modern times. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thursbitch<br />The best way I can describe it is, if he had written The Owl Service for grown-ips it might be like Thursbitch.<br /><br />The odd title is the name of the valley where its set.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-28776097745599003712013-01-15T23:32:27.446-08:002013-01-15T23:32:27.446-08:00I enjoyed this look at Historical novels and Spiri...I enjoyed this look at Historical novels and Spirituality. I enjoy reading three historical mystery series that include a spiritual sleuth. I like your point about putting spirituality discussions or dialogue in books being difficult because its deeply personal.<br /><br />Thanks for sharing!Sophia Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07909417504496472472noreply@blogger.com