The bloggers on the tour are really enjoying the read...
LuAnn at Back Porchervations says "I learned as much about the English Civil Wars from reading this book as I had in any world history class, and enjoyed it far more!"
Jules at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf says "I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Anthony Anglorus. It was a delightful "backstage" view into the lives of several powerful figures in history with a lovely dose of fiction for sheer entertainment."
From Clarissa at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book...
"Adventure? Check.
Intrigue? Check.
A hell of a good read? Double check!
I must give endless praise because the author gives us a story that has great depth, emotion and the feeling of being there right in the midst of all of the action. I am absolutely delighted that there’s going to be a sequel and I cannot wait to get my hands on it."
Interested in finding out more? Please enjoy this interview with the author, and see the tour schedule at the bottom to find out where the tour will be stopping.
Interview with Anthony Anglorus
1. What are some of the problems you come across when writing historical fiction?
And therein lies the problem; real life is actually pretty boring. Less so now than Back Then, but nevertheless - why else do you read fiction? With ‘The Prince of Prigs’, I tried really hard to stick to the truth but his life bore a distinct resemblance to ours -mostly boring with occasional excitement. So I took an event that really happened, changed it slightly and it provided me with a conclusion to the book which was exciting, loosely historically accurate and, most important of all, gave me a doorway for a sequel. I did offer sniffs of the boring bits, but only enough to show that he was an ordinary person, not some comic-book superhero.
Then there are the simple issues it is all too easy to miss; burgers and fries simply were not on the menu - only the aristocracy could afford beef. Instead, the poor mostly lived off pottage, a stew based upon cheap barley and kept running for days on end with daily additions.
What did they eat with? We know that earlier, people ate using fingers and a knife, yet now, we use a knife and fork. The concept of using forks came from Italy in the middle of my period, so whilst James, the hero of my book, would still be using fingers and knife, those higher up the social ladder were just starting to use forks, as Oliver Cromwell does within my book.
2. Did you come across anything really interesting when researching this book?
To me, it was all interesting. But that’s just me, I love learning new things and when not at my desk, I can usually be found watching documentaries on television. I do wish, though, that the history channel actually showed any history! But as for information others might find interesting, I’m not sure. I became genuinely outraged when I discovered that Parliament had banned Christmas celebrations, although I now learn that Scotland was even worse on this front. It was a revelation to me how devious Cromwell was in his pursuit of power - although looking at today’s politicians, it’s easy to see similar actions.Frankly, before I started this book, I was ambivalent about the English Civil War. But as I learned more, I realised that it had to happen in some form, although my leanings are actually with Lord Fairfax - he wanted the King brought down a peg or two, but not killed and replaced with a committee or indeed with Oliver Cromwell. He was a poor politician and I suspect that he resigned as Commander of the New Model Army not just because the ordered invasion of Scotland breached a recently signed treaty, but also because he could see how corrupt the replacement rulers were. As Pete Townsend says, “Meet the new boss, the same as the old boss”.
3. Top 10 books that inspire you.
Ah. This is a truly difficult one. But I’ll try.Well, I’ll simply refer to Clive Cussler and Tom Clancy first. I have modelled my writing style on these two American Authors. You can’t help but enjoy everything they write.
The Far Arena by Richard ben Sapir. A truly wonderful read which includes several pragmatic and wise quotes I use over and over - although not in my writing, that would be plagiarism!
Mayday by Thomas Block. The film unfortunately fails to do the book justice.
Mission by Patrick Tilley. I have at least two copies of this book, and the two I can lay my hands on have been read so intensively that the pages are loose - it’s about time I bought another. The storyline is about as big as it gets, and it forces you to think about things in a way that had never occurred to you before. Checking the Amazon reviews, I see that others have reacted the same way and owning several copies of this book seems to be the norm.
Masters of Space by E.E.’Doc’ Smith. I read this when I want to silence my brain. It’s a bit silly, it’s very dated and yet, and yet. This book taught me that you can get away with dialogue which, on the face of it, seems foolish.
Lord General by M.A. Gibb. Details the Life of Sir Thomas Fairfax and brings to life a long-dead character who should be an inspiration to us all. It is not at all impossible that I shall later attempt a novel based upon his exploits.
The Riverworld Series by Philip Jose Farmer. Here again we have a gigantic concept, demonstrating the effectiveness of big ideas.
The Earth’s Children series by Jean M. Auel. After the wonderful ‘Clan of the Cave Bear’ opener, every one of these books was eagerly awaited for many years, and only the final book disappointed. Her attention to detail is dramatically over the top but it is encouraging to know that she did the research, not to mention being a rare object lesson for writers in that it shows the effect of laying out too much detail. In her case, the stories are so strong that they can carry this.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. What, you thought you’d get through without an acknowledged classic? Shame on you! It’s a wonderful book and should be compulsory reading for all.
The Prince of Prigs by Anthony Anglorus
Publication Date: July 6, 2015
Bygone Era Books
Formats: eBook & Paperback
Genre: Historical Fiction
The union of England and Scotland under one crown is not even a half century old, and the Parliamentarians already threaten the very fabric of the nation. These are the adventures of highwayman Capt. James Hind who, in Robin Hood fashion, steals from the Roundheads to help fund the royalist cause. When Cromwell comes to power, James, the Prince of Prigs, must be careful whom among his treacherous “friends” he trusts.
AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | BARNES & NOBLE | CHAPTERS | KOBO
Praise
"Any who view historical fiction as dry or plodding should pick up The Prince of Prigs: it wraps courtroom drama, social issues, flamboyant personalities and British politics under one cover and represents a rollicking good read even for audiences who normally eschew the genre. As for those who know how compelling it can be - The Prince of Prigs is ample evidence of the powers of historical fiction." - D. Donovan, Midwest Book ReviewAbout the Author
After a lifetime of balancing books, Anthony turned his hand to writing them in 2009. His first book, The Other Robin Hood, is available as an ebook. An Englishman still living in England, he married a Russian doctor in 1999 and will be moving to rural France after reaching retirement age — but the writing will continue. He is already working on the sequel to The Prince of Prigs, tentatively titled Dark Days, Dark Deeds.WEBSITE | TWITTER | GOODREADS
Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, December 7Guest Post at The Writing Desk
Thursday, December 10
Review at Diana's Book Reviews
Monday, December 14
Review at Eclectic Ramblings of Author Heather Osborne
Monday, December 21
Interview at Historical Fiction Addicts
Tuesday, December 22
Review at Svetlana's Reads and Views
Monday, December 28
Guest Post at Historical Fiction Addicts
Tuesday, December 29
Review at Queen of All She Reads
Thursday, December 31
Tour Wrap-Up at Passages to the Past
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