For the third year in a row, I plan to spend my summer vacation in the Bahamas. It’s hard not to like the Caribbean with its perfect beaches and wonderful resorts, but as a fan of history, the Caribbean always makes me think about pirates. Maybe it was the Disneyland ride I used to adore…
This week, I’m pleased to feature a review of Robert Lyndon’s Hawk Quest by guest reviewer Bill Brockman. Bill is an avid reader of historical fiction, but he’s also devoted his life to public service as a Battalion Chief of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department and a 31-year part-time airman in the Air National Guard….
Reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fall of Arthur reminded me of another work of Arthurian fiction that’s related to Tolkien and has been stuck in my the back of my bookshelf for years. That work is Tolkien’s translation of a fourteenth century poem titled Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The famous poem is the work…
Some of the finest words ever written, on July 4, 1776: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” – The Declaration of Independence Happy Fourth of…
While I was writing a series of posts of the Magic of Medieval Fiction and the Late Fifth Century and the Age of Arthur, this little gem fell out of the sky: J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fall of Arthur. Needless to say, I dove right in, and my review follows after this image of the book’s…
For the next 72 hours, the Kindle version of Enoch’s Device will be on sale at Amazon for 99¢! Here’s what Marty Shaw of Reader Views said about the novel: “If you enjoy tales of magic and adventure that are perfectly blended with reality and history, ‘Enoch’s Device’ by Joseph Finley will be an exciting…
After a brief hiatus, I’m returning to my series on the Magic of Medieval Fiction, where we have been lingering in the late Fifth Century and the Age of King Arthur. One of the stories from that time period that I neglected to mention previously was the tale of Tristan and Iseult. This story has…
As part of the Spartacus: Rebellion Virtual Book Tour, I interviewed author Ben Kane about the second book in his epic series. Q: Ben, welcome back to Fresh-scraped Vellum! Last June, you were kind enough to give me an interview on your first book in the series, Spartacus: The Gladiator. Had you already finished Spartacus: Rebellion…
As part of the virtual book tour for Ben Kane’s new novel, Spartacus: Rebellion, I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of the book and a second interview with author Ben Kane! I’ll post the interview tomorrow, but until then, here’s my review of the book after this very cool image of its cover. Spartacus:…
Fresh-scraped Vellum is excited to participate in the virtual book tour for Ben Kane’s new novel Spartacus: Rebellion! A review of the novel will be posted this Thursday, and on Friday I’ll feature an interview with author Ben Kane. Fresh-scraped Vellum also participated in the tour for the first book in the series, Spartacus: The Gladiator…
In my reviews of Bernard Cornwell’s The Winter King and Enemy of God, I noted how the character of Merlin is obsessed with recovering the Thirteen Treasures of Britain, which he believes can restore the power of the old Celtic gods. These treasures, which are sometimes called the Thirteen Hallows, feature prominently throughout Cornwell’s The…