The Prospect of Whitby and the Hanging Judge
Yes, that is a noose, and that is the River Thames. And yes, the gallows’ crossbeam is indeed aimed at the financial centre, Canary Wharf. The gallows is part of the Prospect of Whitby, one [...]
By Paddy
In Articles, books, Case Study, history, non fiction, Non-fiction, Notes, research, writing, Writing
Posted How New York Marshals were made
At a quarter to ten on the morning of May 19, 1811, bells began to sound throughout the neighbourhood of New York around Chatham Street and the City Hall. It being a Sunday, not many people paid [...]
By Paddy
Posted America’s First Murderer
“As far as I can tell, the first murder in New England was committed in 1630 with a gun.” Thomas McDade, The Annals of Murder. John Billington was probably not the first man to commit [...]
By Paddy
Posted The Mystery of Marketing – The newsletter
I have spent the last week or so trying to understand how email marketing campaigns – also known as newsletters – work. Sales and marketing experts say that the humble newsletter is [...]
By Paddy
In Articles, books, Branding, Business, Education, Explainer, fiction, Marketing, Non-fiction, research, Writing
Posted Publishing 101
I’m reading a great book right now called Publishing 101, by Jane Friedman. She is a columnist with Publishers Weekly and writes a very useful blog at JaneFriedman.com. She’s been in [...]
Murder in the first degree – a history
I had always thought of ‘murder in the first degree’ as something dating back to mediaeval times in England. It certainly has that ring to it. But it turns out, it’s not an [...]
By Paddy
In Articles, Branding, Business, crime, Design, Education, Explainer, fiction, history, Lifestyle, movies, research, writing
Posted What is Justy Flanagan wearing?
One of the most absorbing parts of writing historical fiction is the deep dive you make into the small stuff. What did people eat? What kinds of houses did they live in? What did they wear? The [...]
By Paddy
In Articles, Branding, Business, crime, Design, Education, Explainer, fiction, history, research, writing
Posted The best historical map site on the web
I’m writing historical novels, so I use old maps a lot in my research. Over the last few years, more and more map owners have put their maps on the web, so it’s become increasingly [...]
By Paddy
Posted My writing routine
A lot of people have been asking me about my writing routine – when I write, where I write, how much I write, whether I rub the belly of a resting Buddha before I start, etc. etc. HOW MUCH? [...]
By Paddy
In Articles, Branding, Economy, Education, Explainer, fiction, finance, history, Interviews, non fiction, research, writing
Posted Publishers Weekly Interview – uncut
Publishers Weekly was kind enough to interview me recently. An excerpt from the interview appeared in the physical magazine, and another excerpt was posted online this week. PWs Lenny Picker [...]
