York Minster Chapter House and Mason’s Lodge
The Chapter House and Mason’s Loft in York Minster are setting for my novel, The Stonemason’s Secret. Learn more about their history and how they are used in the story.
Art and History in Fiction
The Cup of Jamshid in “The Stonemason’s Secret”
The protagonist of every story needs to seek an object of desire. Learn about the artifact at the center of The Stonemason’s Secret, and the facts and fiction in the book.
Keeping an Idea Notebook for Fiction Books
How do I get ideas for what to write about in my books? I’ve got another blog and video about the idea behind “The Stonemason’s Secret”, but I often come across other art and history information that might be good for a future book. To keep track of them, I have a notebook just for … Read more
Medieval Minstrels and Their Music: A Brief Overview
What was a minstrel? What role did they have in medieval society? What type of music did they play? Here is a brief overview. The minstrel carvings in Beverley Minster are central to the plot in The Stonemason’s Secret. I’ve written about them before, but in this post I want to explore who the minstrels … Read more
East Yorkshire Villages in The Stonemason’s Secret: Bainton, Harpham, Huggate, and Hutton Cranswick
East Yorkshire is not as well known as other parts of England, but it is home to many medieval churches and sites which feature in The Stonemason’s Secret. The book is set in Beverley, York, and several East Yorkshire villages. I previously wrote about medieval buildings and sites in Beverley, so here is more information … Read more
Medieval Sites to Visit in Beverley England
Beverley is located in East Yorkshire, England. Though overshadowed by York, 30 miles to the northwest, Beverley is home to a number of medieval buildings and sites. Beverley is also 10 miles south of where I lived in England. I visited quite often, volunteering at a charity shop, researching my thesis in the Minster and … Read more