Elizabeth St.John 📚💙📜Author and Historian

The Princes in the Tower: The Urn in Westminster Abbey Nobody Will Open What We Know, What We Don't, and Why DNA Testing is Not an Option

Why haven't the bones of the Missing Princes in the Tower been DNA tested?
What we know, what we don't know, and what happens next?
#MedievalSky
elizabethstjohn.substack.com/p/the-prince...

West of Santillane | Extraordinary 19th-Century Women's Historical Fiction by Brook Allen - Elizabeth St.John West of Santillane by Brook Allen Desperate to escape a mundane future as a Virginia planter’s wife, Julia Hancock seizes her chance for adventure when she wins the heart of American hero William Clar...

We all know American explorers Lewis and Clark and their travels and travails.
But what about Mrs Clark?
Brook Allen explores the extraordinary life of Julia Hancock in her best-selling novel.
@cathiedunn.bsky.social @brookallenauthor.bsky.social
www.elizabethjstjohn.com/guest-author...

My pleasure - Love Lost in Time is STILL one of my fave dual timelines ever!

Love Lost in Time | Atmospheric French Dual Timeline by Cathie Dunn - Elizabeth St.John Love Lost in Time By Cathie Dunn A reluctant daughter. A dutiful wife. A mystery of the ages. Languedoc, France, 2018 Historian Madeleine Winters would rather research her next project than rehash the...

What do you do when a friend discovers ancient bones under her kitchen floor in the Languedoc? Write a brilliant historical fiction novel inspired by the find, of course!

@cathiedunn.bsky.social #GreatHistoricalFiction
@maryanneyarde.bsky.social

www.elizabethjstjohn.com/guest-author...

Sunny windowsill. Do Not Disturb. #Caturday

Dear dear dear Aurelia...from your dutiful, constant wife Mary Stuart, Frances Apsley, and the Language of Female Friendship at Court

Mary Stuart, the future Queen Mary II, was twelve years old when she began writing to Frances Apsley: letters so tender, so extravagant in their devotion, that the two women gave themselves new names and played at being husband and wife. #EarlyModern

elizabethstjohn.substack.com/p/dear-dear-...

My daughter bought me this for Christmas last year ... sooooo good!

20 February 1583: Ambassador Mendoza writes home about a picture sent from Flanders featuring the Netherlands depicted as a cow an early version of this 1630s painting. It features Philip II trying to control the cow, his spurs drawing blood; William of Orange milking it, a sign ... 1/
#earlymodern

A Cup of Water & a Rose on a simple silver try in which you can see beautiful light reflections by Francisco de Zurbarán, 1630.

🌹 A Cup of Water & a Rose by Francisco de Zurbarán, 1630.

🔎 Non-artificial knowledge: Devout 17th-century Spanish viewers would instantly have recognized the religious significance of these objects.

21.2 × 30.1 cm, NG London

🗃️ #arthistory #skystorians #earlymodern #art #flower

My pleasure. Added to my TBR list - Ballet Shoes was one of my favourites!

The Dead We Know Best The Past Is Not Distant. It Is Simply Waiting.

Inspired by Ian McEwan’s brilliant new novel, What We Can Know, I ask who the dead are that you know best. As historical fiction writers, we often connect with the dead better than the living…
#HistoricalFiction #Ancestry #Genealogy
elizabethstjohn.substack.com/p/the-dead-w...

Dance of the Earth | A Sweeping Family Saga by Anna M Holmes - Elizabeth St.John Dance of the Earth by Anna M Holmes From world stages to theatres of war, Dance of the Earth is a sweeping family saga. Set against the backdrops of London’s gilded Alhambra music hall, Diaghilev’s da...

📖💫Enjoy an Excerpt💫📖
Dance of the Earth
A sweeping historical saga set in London's glittering Victorian and Edwardian theatre world.
#HistoricalFiction #CoffeePotBookClub

www.elizabethjstjohn.com/guest-author...

@annamholmes.bsky.social @cathiedunn.bsky.social

One day, a simple cactus...the next, a glorious swan. #Nature #MorningWalk

Early this morning in the #reading chair. Guess who runs our book club...🐱 #Caturday

Family Footsteps: When Historical Research Becomes a Profound Emotional Journey How Family Stories Inspire Historical Fiction

Family Footsteps: When Historical Research Becomes a Profound Emotional Journey
open.substack.com/pub/elizabet...

Today is Monarch Butterfly Day! Did you know these beautiful butterflies can travel up to 2,500 miles all the way from US and Canada to Mexico when they migrate? Share to appreciate these incredible creatures🧡

Trustee Opportunities - Friends of Lydiard Park Help shape the future of one of Wiltshire’s most important historic landscapes by becoming a Friends of Lydiard Park Trustee

Hey UK #Skystorians
The Friends of Lydiard Park are seeking three new trustees as we step into an exciting period of growth. Join a committed board shaping the future of a remarkable historic and community place. Details via the link, or message me.
www.friendsoflydiardpark.org.uk/projects/tru...

We are absolutely thrilled to share our Draft Programme for the Late Stuart Court Symposium - We have an amazing lineup of speakers!

If you are interested in joining us in-person or online, sign up now using our Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1980806533...

Married to a King-Killer What makes a revolutionary? Who transforms resistance into rebellion? Lucy Hutchinson chooses sides in England's Civil War.

What makes a revolutionary? Who transforms resistance into rebellion? And when does a nation realize that challenging authority has resulted in a complete overturn of a country’s reigning monarchy?
#LucyHutchinson #EarlyModern

elizabethstjohn.substack.com/p/married-to...

Giving this a boost. Grateful for the suggestions so far and wondering if anyone has additional ideas.

What do we know about interactions between #earlymodern elites and the people who helped manage their property and interests?

Instructions for plantings, deliveries of produce from their country home to their town house, instructions for erecting a maypole, preparation for a visit from Charles II, and a Christmas to-do list. They certainly had a very close and trusting relationship.

We have some fascinating letters in The Lydiard Archives between Lady Johanna St.John and her steward, Hardyman. thelydiardarchives.org.uk
search Lady Johanna St.John Hardyman

10th Anniversary Celebration!
#FREEBOOK #HistoricalFiction

I've made The Lady of the Tower free through midnight Thursday (another benefit of being an indie author!) - so do spread the love - and the message that you CAN ABSOLUTELY MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!

https:/geni.us/MyBookLOTT

Yeah. Mo.
Write your own caption, #Caturday friends...

The little boat heading for open water, the seagull waiting on the shore. On a day I seek comfort, the ocean reassures.

Lucy St.John's Antidote for the Plague Would an electuary of snake root or saffron save her family?

What was “The Wonderfull Yeare” really like? Explore the plague summer of 1603 through my family’s eyes. #Medicine #Renaissance #FamilyHistory #EarlyModern elizabethstjohn.substack.com/p/lucy-stjoh...

This morning, on my roof. Not quite a lucky stork: still delight and joy in the shared moment.

Limbs reaching sunlight, roots firmly grounded. A life lesson in twisted paths on my walk today.

Cap for a man or woman of wool, England, 16thC

(Victoria & Albert Museum, London)

I've just suggested to a wider friends group. Adlestrop. I went with my new mother-in-law when I was first married and we read the poem there together. We formed a bond for life on that day. The power of words.