The Historical Inkpot

Scammers are getting smarter, but indie authors can stay one step ahead by spotting the red flags early. Let’s talk about how to keep your inbox—and your creative energy—safe from people who want to rip you off. ✍️ Why Indie Authors Are Targeted Indie authors like us are often juggling writing, marketing, social media and publishing all on our own. That makes us prime targets for scammers who know we’re hungry for visibility, reviews, and opportunities. They swoop in with offers that sound too good to take up, and it's easy to be fooled if you are overworked and busy.   Here are Common Scams to Watch Out For: • Over-the-top flattery: “Your book is perfect for our award!” or “We hand-selected your novel for our club.” If you never applied or submitted, it’s a scam.  • Fake famous author outreach: A “big name” author emails you saying they love your book. Spoiler: they don’t. Real authors don’t cold-email strangers. • Pay-to-play podcasts or interviews: Invitations to...

Tell us about your latest book:  ‘The Traitor’s Son’ is my debut novel, and the first in a proposed trilogy reimagining the life of Richard III. This first instalment covers Richard’s ten formative years between 1461 and 1471 and tells of how a grieving, fatherless boy grows into a courageous warrior of eighteen. It is a story of inner conflict, of love, loyalty, sacrifice, and treachery within the House of York. It culminates in a heart-wrenching dilemma, when Richard finds himself forced to choose between Edward, his blood brother and king, and Richard Neville, earl of Warwick, the man he has come to look upon as a second father.  What is your preferred writing routine?  I try to write every day, on average for around two hours. My habit is to continually edit my work as I go, so that only when I'm happy with what I've written do I carry on with the next scene. This can make for slow progress, but in my experience, it makes the final edit much easier, because most of th...

  Tell us about your Latest book:   Nicola, thank you so much for the opportunity to share my upcoming novel,  FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM , with the readers of your blog! I’m very excited about this new book, my 10th, and 6 th  Historical Fiction novel. The book is currently three quarters complete, and will be published in 2026. But the real story is how the burning desire to write one book turned into a two-decade journey that resulted in writing six books! When I began writing  THE NYMPH FROM HEAVEN , my first Tudor novel, so many years ago, I had no inkling that my effort would turn into six books, in two series, over almost twenty years! It takes me about three years to write a book, because of the extensive research I do. I like my historical fiction accurate, and such accuracy requires a deep dive into the facts. I started out wanting to write about the timeless, fascinating tale of Henry VIII, Katharine of Aragon, and Anne Boleyn, possibly the most famous ...

  Tell us about your latest book: The Narrowness of Death is the final book in my series on Eleanor of Aquitaine . It deals with her final adventures and misadventures , problems with her sons , family relationships (which could be deadly at this time and in this social position) and her final resolutions about life and her purpose. It was a hard book to write. Whenever I write about a woman of history I start with her childhood and go right through to the end of her life. Since I write in first person, I often end up feeling as if I have become that person, at least for a while, putting myself in their position, trying to imagine what they would do in any particular circumstance and drawing on what is known of their character to work this out. It’s a little like method acting , I would guess (though I’ve never been an actor!) and it’s a very personal, poignant experience. That is especially true when it comes to the end, and death takes them. The last book of any series is, there...

                                                Universal Buy Link:  https://geni.us/6TOaPa A Virtuoso in America: Adrian by Fred Raymond Goldman : Tell us about your latest novel: How do you reconcile a decision you made in the past when the world erupts in war, threatening the life of someone you love and believe you were protecting?   Adrian Mazurek immigrated to the United States from Krakow, Poland , 14 years ago and is now a successful violin soloist and concertmaster of The Eleventh State Symphony Orchestra in New York . But despite his outward success, Adrian is inwardly harboring a shameful secret, one he has not revealed to anyone.   However, that is about to change. Adrian plans to propose marriage to Suzanne , but he knows he must tell her the truth about his past before doing so. Riddled with guilt and shame, Adrian can barely look at...

  Spending Your Time (and Spoons) Wisely: I have always struggled with time management — or more accurately, energy management until I learned about the spoon theory . Living with a chronic illness means that my energy is limited, and I quickly run out of steam. Learning to pace myself and to plan around my available energy levels has made an enormous difference to my daily life and my writing life, too. What is the spoon theory? If you’re new to Spoon Theory , here’s the gist: imagine you start each day with a limited number of spoons. Every task — getting dressed, answering emails, making lunch, writing a chapter — costs a spoon. Some days you’ve got a few extra spoons than usual, and on others you’re running on fumes before breakfast. Learning how to recognise your own limits and prioritise accordingly is crucial if you want to avoid burnout . It's not about squeezing the most out of every minute, but about making intentional choices that serve both your well-being and y...

  Available on Amazon UK , Amazon AU , and Amazon US Tell us about your latest book. My latest book is Shades of Yellow , my fifth novel. It’s the metafiction novel I have longed to write for a long, long time. I wanted to show the messiness of writing, but, of course, it is about more than that. Shades of Yellow  tells the story of Lucy, a young woman in 2010, who is writing a novel about Amy Robsart , the first wife of Robert Dudley , the man who came closest to marrying Elizabeth Tudor . Lucy shares this novel with the reader —either by showing (when she shares chapters of her work in the book) or telling (when she reflects about or journals about her novel). What first drew Lucy to write Amy’s story is that Amy may have had breast cancer, like Lucy had five years before the story starts. The novel covers a few weeks in Lucy’s life when she is reclaiming her extremely messy life through writing this novel about a woman who died in suspicious circumstances.   What is...