cbnewham

Yes, I have. I've already had professional beta readers review it.

DEAD TIME is an 80,000-word near-future thriller. Blurb from my query letter below.

I haven't posted for a while. More fascinating subjects to come, but I have been in the depths of editing my novel, getting beta reader feedback and preparing the manuscript for querying (and readying myself for the flurry of rejection letters 😆 )

You're welcome. 😊

...

Nicolas, N. H., Testamenta Vetusta, Volume 1 (London, 1826). p. 186.

Williamson, E., Hudson, T., Musson, J., and Nairn, I. The Buildings of England. Sussex: West (Yale, 2019). p. 102.

References

de Oliveira Marques, A. H., ‘Lencastre, D. Filipa de (1360-1415)’ in Dicionário de História de Portugal, dirigido por Joel Serrão, volume III, Porto, Livraria Figueirinhas, 1981. pp, 479-480.

...

The monument shows them both in robes of state beneath exquisite canopies, Beatrice wearing a particularly elaborate crespine headdress.

Monument number 267 in my book 'Country Church Monuments'.

amzn.eu/d/09RJNuPf

When Henry V launched his French campaign, Thomas dutifully accompanied him, leading a company at the Siege of Harfleur. Thomas contracted dysentery and returned to England a dying man. He dictated his will and died just three days later.

Thomas was a loyal supporter of the Lancastrian dynasty, made Knight of the Garter & the king's lieutenant in the north. His marriage to Beatrice, illegitimate daughter of João I of Portugal, cemented the crucial Anglo-Portuguese alliance following Henry IV's sister's marriage to the Portuguese king

Death by Dysentery

Effigies of Thomas FitzAlan, 5th Earl of Arundel (d.1415) and his wife Beatrice lie in state before the high altar at Arundel (Sussex), surrounded by the original iron hearse with prickets for ten candles - a remarkably rare survival.

Something slightly different today.

I have been working on a novel since December. Finished the first draft of 80K words today.

It's a dystopian sci-fi thriller: what happens when the state weaponises time itself as punishment.

Feedback welcome on 1st Chapter:
drive.google.com/file/d/1tpbw...

It's always been common. This was done to re-use space in the churchyard - possibly for building work. Many churches had such storage areas.

The same thing happens now - graves are reused. Either by burying deeper with coffins stacked on top, or more likely cremating remains and re-using the space.

...

Tierney, M. A., 'Discovery of the Remains of John, 7th Earl of Arundel, (obit. 1435)' in Sussex Archaeological Collections, 12 (1860). pp. 232-239.

Williamson, E., Hudson, T., Musson, J., and Nairn, I. The Buildings of England. Sussex: West (Yale, 2019). p. 102.

References

Curry, A. Fitzalan, John, seventh earl of Arundel (1408–1435), soldier. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

...

Number 270 in my book 'Country Church Monuments'

amzn.eu/d/04BJmGWK

Originally buried at Beauvais, his body was later repatriated. When the tomb was opened in 1857, archaeologists found a skeleton minus one leg - grim confirmation of the monument's accuracy.

Even the "English Achilles" couldn't escape death's democracy.

The monument reflects this brutal reality. Above, Arundel lies in full armour as the warrior he was in life. Below, a shrouded cadaver effigy shows him as a desiccated corpse crowned with flowing hair - one of the finest examples of this macabre medieval art form.

In the confusion, a culverin blast blew off the Earl's foot. His leg was amputated, but he refused medication and died eight days later.

After four distinguished years fighting in France during Henry VI's expedition, Arundel met his fate at Gerberoy on June 4th, 1435. His men attacked the fortress but encountered a large French force.

The English Achilles

John FitzAlan, 7th Earl of Arundel (d.1435) earned the nickname "English Achilles" through his prowess as a military commander. His dramatic "double-decker tomb" at Arundel (Sussex) tells the story of a warrior's fall and mortality's triumph.

More to come. 😊

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Good point. I will consider doing this (I used to use #hashtags in another life).

I noticed that long ago. I'm glad you find something good in them. Thank you Ruth. 😊

I have three times as many followers on X, so 7 likes is one tenth the number it possibly should be.

Weird.

Just to add, I'm not leaving.

I was just curious - I almost feel like the algorithm is ghosting me for reasons unknown and followers are not seeing what I post.

The latest Arundel post, case in point: 7 likes compared to 223 on X.

Yes, I wondered whether BlueSky was ghosting my posts for some reason. That would be weird - but sometimes the algorithms work in strange ways.

Are any of my followers interested in what I post?

I ask because the response here on BlueSky is abismal. I also post to X, Instagram and LinkedIn. I find BlueSky usually has a very poor response relative to the number of followers I have on each platform.

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Williamson, E., Hudson, T., Musson, J., and Nairn, I. The Buildings of England. Sussex: West (Yale, 2019). pp. 102-103.